BY  FRANK  R.  STOCKTON 

RUDDER  GRANGE 

THE  LATE  MRS.  NULL 

ARDIS  CLAVERDEN 

THE  HOUSE  OF  MARTHA 

POMONA'S  TRAVELS 

THE  ADVENTURES  OF  CAPTAIN  HORM 

MRS.  CLIFF'S  YACHT 

THE   GIRL   AT    COBHURST 

THE  LADY  OR  THE  TIGER 

THE  CHRISTMAS  WRECK 

THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN 

AMOS  KILBRIGHT 

THE  RUDDER  GRANGERS  ABROAD 

THE  WATCHMAKER'S  WIFE 

A  STORY  TELLER'S  PACK 

AFIELD  AND  AFLOAT 

JOHN  GAYTHER'S  GARDEN 

A  CHOSEN  VIEW 


ROUNDABOUT  RAMBLES 
TALES  OUT  OF  SCHOOL 
A  JOLLY  FELLOWSHIP 
THE  FLOATING  PRINCE 
THE  TING-A-LING  TALES 
THE  STORY  OF  VITEAU 
PERSONALLY  CONDUCTED 
THE  CLOCKS  OF  RONDAINE 
THE  QUEEN'S  MUSEUM 
FANCIFUL  TALES 

CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SOWS 


THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN 


OTHER     FANCIFUL     TALES 


* 
FRANK   R.  STOCKTON 


NEW   YORK 

CHARLES    SCKIBNER'S    SONS 
1923 


COPYRIGHT,  1887,  BY 
CHARLES  SCRIBNER'S  SONS 

COPYRIGHT,  1915,  BY 
LOUISE  STOCKTON  AND  FRANCES  A.  STOCKTON 


Printed  in  the  United  States  of  America 


83 

14 

MAIM 


CONTENTS. 


I.  THE  BEE-MAH  OF  ORN 1 

II.  THE  GRIFFIN  AND  THE  MINOR  CANON     ...  17 

III.  OLD  PIPE?  AND  THE  DRYAD 38 

IV.  THE  QUEEN'S  MUSEUM 63 

V.  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;  OR,  THE  FRUIT  OF 

THE  FRAGILE  PALM 87 

VI.  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH 114 

VII.  THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THIRD  COUSINS  ....  138 

VIII.  THE  BANISHED  KING 156 

IX  THE  PHILOPENA  .              , 168 


THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 


IN  the  ancient  country  of  Orn,  there  lived  an  old 
man  who  was  called  the  Bee-man,  because  his  whole 
time  was  spent  in  the  company  of  bees.  He  lived  in  a 
small  hut,  which  was  nothing  more  than  an  immense 
bee-hive,  for  these  little  creatures  had  built  their  honey 
combs  in  every  corner  of  the  one  room  it  contained,  on 
the  shelves,  under  the  little  table,  all  about  the  rough 
bench  on  which  the  old  man  sat,  and  even  about  the 
head-board  and  along  the  sides  of  his  low  bed.  All 
day  the  air  of  the  room  was  thick  with  buzzing  insects, 
but  this  did  not  interfere  in  any  way  with  the  old  Bee- 
man,  who  walked  in  among  them,  ate  his  meals,  and 
went  to  sleep,  without  the  slightest  fear  of  being 
stung.  He  had  lived  with  the  bees  so  long,  they  had 
become  so  accustomed  to  him,  and  his  skin  was  so 
tough  and  hard,  that  the  bees  no  more  thought  of 
stinging  him  than  they  would  of  stinging  a  tree  or 
a  stone.  A  swarm  of  bees  had  made  then*  hive  in  a 
pocket  of  his  old  leathern  doublet ;  and  when  he  put 
on  this  coat  to  take  one  of  his  long  walks  in  the  forest 
in  search  of  wild  bees'  nests,  he  was  very  glad  to  have 
this  hive  with  him,  for,  if  he  did  not  find  any  wild 

1 


2 TJfE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 

honey,  lie  would  put  his  hand  in  his  pocket  and  take 
out  a  piece  of  a  comb  for  a  luncheon.  The  bees  in 
his  pocket  worked  very  industriously,  and  he  was 
alwa}Ts  certain  of  having  something  to  eat  with  him 
wherever  he  went.  He  lived  principally  upon  honey ; 
and  when  he  needed  bread  or  meat,  he  carried  some 
fine  combs  to  a  village  not  far  away  and  bartered 
them  for  other  food.  He  was  ugly,  untidy,  shrivelled, 
and  brown.  He  was  poor,  and  the  bees  seemed  to  be 
his  only  friends.  But,  for  all  that,  he  was  happy  and 
contented ;  he  had  all  the  honey  he  wanted,  and  hig 
bees,  whom  he  considered  the  best  company  in  the 
world,  were  as  friendly  and  sociable  as  they  could  be, 
and  seemed  to  increase  in  number  every  day. 

One  day,  there  stopped  at  the  hut  of  the  Bee-man  a 
Junior  Sorcerer.  This  young  person,  who  was  a  stu 
dent  of  magic,  necromancy,  and  the  kindred  arts,  was 
much  interested  in  the  Bee-man,  whom  he  had  fre 
quently  noticed  in  his  wanderings,  and  he  considered 
him  an  admirable  subject  for  study.  He  had  got  a 
great  deal  of  useful  practice  by  endeavoring  to  find 
out,  by  the  various  rules  and  laws  of  sorcery,  exactly 
why  the  old  Bee-man  did  not  happen  to  be  something 
that  he  was  not,  and  why  he  was  what  he  happened  to 
be.  He  had  studied  a  long  time  at  this  matter,  and 
had  found  out  something. 

44  Do  you  know,"  he  said,  when  the  Bee-man  came 
out  of  his  hut,  t4  that  you  have  been  transformed?  " 

44 What  do  you  mean  by  that?"  said  the  other, 
much  surprised. 

44  You  have  surely  heard  of  animals  and  human 


THE  BEE-MAN   OF  ORN.  8 

beings  who  have  been  magically  transformed  into 
different  kinds  of  creatures?" 

tk  Yes,  I  have  heard  of  these  things,"  said  the  Bee- 
man  ;  "  but  what  have  I  been  transformed  from?  " 

4 'That  is  more  than  I  know,"  said  the  Junior  Sor 
cerer.  "  But  one  thing  is  certain  —  you  ought  to  be 
changed  back.  If  you  will  find  out  what  you  have  been 
transformed  from,  I  will  see  that  you  are  made  all 
right  again.  Nothing  would  please  me  better  than  to 
attend  to  such  a  case." 

And,  having  a  great  many  things  to  study  and  inves 
tigate,  the  Junior  Sorcerer  went  his  way. 

This  information  greatly  disturbed  the  mind  of  the 
Bee-man.  If  he  had  been  changed  from  something 
else,  he  ought  to  be  that  other  thing,  whatever  it  was. 
He  ran  after  the  young  man,  and  overtook  him. 

"If  you  know,  kind  sir,"  he  said,  "that  I  have 
been  transformed,  you  surely  are  able  to  tell  me  what 
it  is  that  I  was." 

"  No,"  said  the  Junior  Sorcerer,  "  my  studies  have 
not  proceeded  far  enough  for  that.  When  I  become  a 
senior  I  can  tell  you  all  about  it.  But,  in  the  mean- 
tune,  it  will  be  well  for  you  to  try  to  discover  for  your 
self  your  original  form,  and  when  you  have  done  that, 
I  will  get  some  of  the  learned  masters  of  my  art  to 
restore  you  to  it.  It  will  be  easy  enough  to  do  that, 
but  you  could  not  expect  them  to  take  the  time  and 
trouble  to  find  out  what  it  was." 

And,  with  these  words,  he  hurried  away,  and  was 
soon  lost  to  view. 

Greatly  disquieted,  the  Bee-man  retraced  his  ateps, 


4  THE  BEE-MAN  OF  CRN. 

and  went  to  his  hut.  Never  before  had  he  heard  any 
thing  which  had  so  troubled  him. 

"I  wonder  what  I  was  transformed  from?"  he 
thought,  seating  himself  on  his  rough  bench.  "  Could 
it  have  been  a  giant,  or  a  powerful  prince,  or  some 
gorgeous  being  whom  the  magicians  or  the  fairies 
wished  to  punish?  It  may  be  that  I  was  a  dog  or  a 
horse,  or  perhaps  a  fiery  dragon  or  a  horrid  snake.  I 
hope  it  was  not  one  of  these.  But,  whatever  it  was, 
every  one  has  certainly  a  right  to  his  original  form, 
and  I  am  resolved  to  find  out  mine.  I  will  start  early 
to-morrow  morning,  and  I  am  sorry  now  that  I  have 
not  more  pockets  to  my  old  doublet,  so  that  I  might 
carry  more  bees  and  more  honey  for  my  journey." 

He  spent  the  rest  of  the  day  in  making  a  hive  of 
twigs  and  straw,  and,  having  transferred  to  this  a 
number  of  honey-combs  and  a  colony  of  bees  which 
had  just  swarmed,  he  rose  before  sunrise  the  next  day, 
and  having  put  on  his  leathern  doublet,  and  having 
bound  his  new  hive  to  his  back,  he  set  forth  on  his 
quest ;  the  bees  who  were  to  accompany  him  buzzing 
around  him  like  a  cloud. 

As  the  Bee-man  passed  through  the  little  village  the 
people  greatly  wondered  at  his  queer  appearance,  with 
the  hive  upon  his  back.  "  The  Bee-man  is  going  on  a 
long  expedition  this  time,"  they  said;  but  no  one 
imagined  the  strange  business  on  which  he  was  bent. 
About  noon  he  sat  down  under  a  tree,  near  a  beautiful 
meadow  covered  with  blossoms,  and  ate  a  little  honey. 
Then  he  untied  his  hive  and  stretched  himself  out  on 
the  grass  to  rest.  As  he  gazed  upon  his  bees  hover- 


THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN.  5 

Ing  about  him,  some  going  out  to  the  blossoms  in  the 
sunshine,  and  some  returning  laden  with  the  sweet 
pollen,  he  said  to  himself,  "  They  know  just  what  they 
have  to  do,  and  they  do  it ;  but  alas  for  me !  I  know 
not  what  I  may  have  to  do.  And  yet,  whatever  it 
may  be,  I  am  determined  to  do  it.  In  some  way  or 
other  I  will  find  out  what  was  my  original  form,  and 
then  I  will  have  myself  changed  back  to  it." 

And  now  the  thought  came  to  him  that  perhaps  his 
original  form  might  have  been  something  very  dis 
agreeable,  or  even  horrid. 

"  But  it  does  not  matter, ' '  he  said  sturdily.  ' l  What 
ever  I  was  that  shall  I  be  again.  It  is  not  right  for 
any  one  to  retain  a  form  which  does  not  properly  be 
long  to  him.  I  have  no  doubt  I  shall  discover  my 
original  form  in  the  same  way  that  I  find  the  trees  in 
which  the  wild  bees  hive.  When  I  first  catch  sight  of 
a  bee-tree  I  am  drawn  towards  it,  I  know  not  how. 
Something  says  to  me :  '  That  is  what  you  are  looking 
for/  In  the  same  way  I  believe  that  I  shall  find  my 
original  form.  When  I  see  it,  I  shall  be  drawn  towards 
it.  Something  will  say  to  me :  '  That  is  it.'  " 

When  the  Bee-man  was  rested  he  started  off  again, 
and  in  about  an  hour  he  entered  a  fair  domain.  Around 
him  were  beautiful  lawns,  grand  trees,  and  lovely  gar 
dens  ;  while  at  a  little  distance  stood  the  stately  palace 
of  the  Lord  of  the  Domain.  Richly  dressed  people 
were  walking  about  or  sitting  in  the  shade  of  the  trees 
and  arbors ;  splendidly  caparisoned  horses  were  wait 
ing  for  their  riders ;  and  everywhere  were  seen  signs 
of  opulence  and  gayety. 


6  THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 

"I  think,"  said  the  Bee-man  to  himself,  "that  I 
should  like  to  stop  here  for  a  time.  If  it  should  hap 
pen  that  I  was  originally  like  any  of  these  happy 
creatures  it  would  please  me  much." 

He  untied  his  hive,  and  hid  it  behind  some  bushes, 
and  taking  off  his  old  doublet,  laid  that  beside  it.  It 
would  not  do  to  have  his  bees  flying  about  him  if 
he  wished  to  go  among  the  inhabitants  of  this  fair 
domain. 

For  two  days  the  Bee-man  wandered  about  the  pal 
ace  and  its  grounds,  avoiding  notice  as  much  as  possi 
ble,  but  looking  at  every  thing.  He  saw  handsome 
men  and  lovely  ladies ;  the  finest  horses,  dogs,  and 
cattle  that  were  ever  known ;  beautiful  birds  in  cages, 
and  fishes  in  crystal  globes,  and  it  seemed  to  him  that 
the  best  of  all  living  things  were  here  collected. 

At  the  close  of  the  second  day,  the  Bee-man  said  to 
himself:  "There  is  one  being  here  toward  whom  I 
feel  very  much  drawn,  and  that  is  the  Lord  of  the 
Domain.  I  cannot  feel  certain  that  I  was  once  like 
him,  but  it  would  be  a  very  fine  thing  if  it  were  so ; 
and  it  seems  impossible  for  me  to  be  drawn  toward  any 
other  being  in  the  domain  when  I  look  upon  him,  so 
handsome,  rich,  and  powerful.  But  I  must  observe 
him  more  closely,  and  feel  more  sure  of  the  matter, 
before  applying  to  the  sorcerers  to  change  me  back 
into  a  lord  of  a  fair  domain." 

The  next  morning,  the  Bee-man  saw  the  Lord  of 
the  Domain  walking  in  his  gardens.  He  slipped  along 
the  shady  paths,  and  followed  him  so  as  to  observe 
him  closely,  and  find  out  if  he  were  really  drawn 


THE  BEE- MAN  OF  ORN.  7 

toward  this  noble  and  handsome  being.  The  Lord  of 
the  Domain  walked  on  for  some  time,  not  noticing 
that  the  Bee-man  was  behind  him.  But  suddenly 
turning,  he  saw  the  little  old  man. 

u  What  are  you  doing  here,  you  vile  beggar?"  he 
cried  ;  and  he  gave  him  a  kick  that  sent  him  into  some 
bushes  that  grew  by  the  side  of  the  path. 

The  Bee-man  scrambled  to  his  feet,  and  ran  as  fast 
as  he  could  to  the  place  where  he  had  hidden  his  hive 
and  his  old  doublet. 

44 If  I  am  certain  of  any  thing,"  he  thought,  "it  is 
that  I  was  never  a  person  who  would  kick  a  poor  old 
man.  I  will  leave  this  place.  I  was  transformed 
from  nothing  that  I  see  here." 

He  now  travelled  for  a  day  or  two  longer,  and  then 
he  came  to  a  great  black  mountain,  near  the  bottom  of 
which  was  an  opening  like  the  mouth  of  a  cave. 

This  mountain  he  had  heard  was  filled  with  caverns 
and  under-ground  passages,  which  were  the  abodes  of 
dragons,  evil  spirits,  horrid  creatures  of  all  kinds. 

"  Ah  me  !  "  said  the  Bee-man  with  a  sigh,  "  I  sup. 
pose  I  ought  to  visit  this  place.  If  I  am  going  to  do 
this  thing  properly,  I  should  look  on  all  sides  of  the 
subject,  and  I  may  have  been  one  of  those  horrid 
creatures  myself." 

Thereupon  he  went  to  the  mountain,  and  as  he 
approached  the  opening  of  the  passage  which  led  into 
*.ts  inmost  recesses  he  saw,  sitting  upon  the  ground, 
and  leaning  his  back  against  a  tree,  a  Languid  Youth. 

•'Good-day,"  said  this  individual  when  he  saw  the 
Bee-man.  "  Are  you  going  inside?  " 


8  THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Bee-man,  "  that  is  what  I  intend  tc 
do." 

"  Then,"  said  the  Languid  Youth,  slowly  rising  to 
his  feet,  "  I  think  I  will  go  with  you.  I  was  told  that 
if  I  went  in  there  I  should  get  my  energies  toned  up, 
and  they  need  it  very  much ;  but  I  did  not  feel  equal 
to  entering  by  myself,  and  I  thought  I  would  wait 
until  some  one  came  along.  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
you,  and  we  will  go  in  together." 

So  the  two  went  into  the  cave,  and  they  had  pro 
ceeded  but  a  short  distance  when  they  met  a  very  little 
creature,  whom  it  was  easy  to  recognize  as  a  Very 
Imp.  He  was  about  two  feet  high,  and  resembled 
in  color  a  freshly  polished  pah?  of  boots.  He  was 
extremely  lively  and  active,  and  came  bounding 
toward  them. 

1  'What  did  you  two  people  come  here  for?"  he 
asked. 

"  I  came,"  said  the  Languid  Youth,  "  to  have  my 
energies  toned  up." 

"  You  have  come  to  the  right  place,"  said  the  Very 
Imp.  "  We  will  tone  you  up.  And  what  does  that 
old  Bee-man  want?" 

"  He  has  been  transformed  from  something,  and 
wants  to  find  out  what  it  is.  He  thinks  he  may  have 
been  one  of  the  things  in  here." 

"I  should  not  wonder  if  that  were  so,"  said  the 
Very  Imp,  rolling  his  head  on  one  side,  and  eying  the 
Bee-man  with  a  critical  gaze. 

"  All  right,"  said  the  Very  Imp ;  "  he  can  go  around, 
and  pick  out  his  previous  existence.  We  have  here  all 


THE  BEE-MAN   OF  ORN.  9 

sorts  of  vile  creepers,  crawlers,  hissers,  and  snorters. 
I  suppose  be  thinks  any  thing  will  be  better  than  a 
Bee-man." 

44  It  is  not  because  I  want  to  be  better  than  I  am," 
said  the  Bee-man,  "  that  I  started  out  on  this  search. 
I  have  simply  an  honest  desire  to  become  what  I  origi 
nally  was." 

"  Oh  !  that  is  it,  is  it?  "  said  the  other.  "  There  is 
an  idiotic  moon-calf  here  with  a  clam  head,  which 
must  be  just  like  what  you  used  to  be." 

44  Nonsense,"  said  the  Bee-man.  "You  have  not 
the  least  idea  what  an  honest  purpose  is.  I  shall  go 
about,  and  see  for  myself." 

"  Go  ahead,"  said  the  Very  Imp,  "  and  I  will  attend 
to  this  fellow  who  wants  to  be  toned  up."  So  saying 
he  joined  the  Languid  Youth. 

u  Look  here,"  said  that  individual,  regarding  him 
with  interest,  "  do  you  black  and  shine  yourself  every 
morning?" 

"No,"  said  the  other,  "it  is  water-proof  varnish. 
You  want  to  be  invigorated,  don't  you?  Well,  I  will 
tell  you  a  splendid  way  to  begin.  You  see  that  Bee- 
man  has  put  down  his  hive  and  his  coat  with  the  bees 
in  it.  Just  wait  till  he  gets  out  of  sight,  and  then 
catch  a  lot  of  those  bees,  and  squeeze  them  flat.  If 
you  spread  them  on  a  sticky  rag,  and  make  a  plaster, 
and  put  it  on  the  small  of  your  back,  it  will  invigorate 
you  like  every  thing,  especially  if  some  of  the  bees  are 
not  quite  dead." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Languid  Youth,  looking  at  him 
with  his  mild  eyes,  "  but  if  I  had  energy  enough  to 


10  THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 

catch  a  bee  I  would  be  satisfied.  Suppose  you  catd 
a  lot  for  me.'* 

44  The  subject  is  changed,"  said  the  Very  Imp. 
"  We  are  now  about  to  visit  the  spacious  chamber  of 
the  King  of  the  Snap-dragons." 

"  That  is  a  flower,"  said  the  Languid  Youth. 

"You  will  find  him  a  gay  old  blossom,"  said  the 
other.  "  When  he  has  chased  you  round  his  room, 
and  has  blown  sparks  at  you,  and  has  snorted  and 
howled,  and  cracked  his  tail,  and  snapped  his  jaws 
like  a  pair  of  anvils,  your  energies  will  be  toned  up 
higher  than  ever  before  in  your  life." 

"  No  doubt  of  it,"  said  the  Languid  Youth;  "but 
I  think  I  will  begin  with  something  a  little  milder." 

"Well  then,"  said  other,  "there  is  a  flat-tailed 
Demon  of  the  Gorge  in  here.  He  is  generally  asleep, 
and,  if  you  say  so,  you  can  slip  into  the  farthest 
corner  of  his  cave,  and  I'll  solder  his  tail  to  the  oppo 
site  wall.  Then  he  will  rage  and  roar,  but  he  can't 
get  at  you,  for  he  does  n't  reach  all  the  way  across  his 
cave  ;  I  have  measured  him.  It  will  tone  you  up  won 
derfully  to  sit  there  and  watch  him." 

"Very  likely,"  said  the  Languid  Youth;  "but  I 
would  rather  stay  outside  and  let  you  go  up  in  the 
corner.  The  performance  in  that  way  will  be  more 
interesting  to  me." 

"  You  are  dreadfully  hard  to  please,"  said  the  Very 
Imp.  "  I  have  offered  them  to  you  loose,  and  I  have 
offered  them  fastened  to  a  wall,  and  now  the  best 
thing  I  can  do  is  to  give  you  a  chance  at  one  of  them 
that  can't  move  at  all.  It  is  the  Ghastly  Griffin  and 


THE  BKE-MAN  OF  ORN.  11 

is  enchanted.  He  can't  stir  so  much  as  the  tip  of  his 
whiskers  for  a  thousand  years.  You  can  go  to  his 
o'.'Mv  and  examine  him  just  as  if  he  were  stuffed,  and 
then  you  can  sit  on  his  back  and  think  how  it  would 
he  if  you  should  live  to  be  a  thousand  years  old,  and 
he  should  wake  up  while  you  are  sitting  there.  It 
would  be  easy  to  imagine  a  lot  of  horrible  things  he 
would  do  to  you  when  you  look  at  his  open  mouth 
with  its  awful  fangs,  his  dreadful  claws,  and  his  hor 
rible  wings  all  covered  with  spikes." 

*•  I  think  that  might  suit  me,*'  said  the  Languid 
Youth.  tk  I  would  much  rather  imagine  the  exercises 
of  these  monsters  than  to  see  them  really  going  on." 

4 'Come  on,  then,"  said  the  Very  Imp,  and  he  led 
the  way  to  the  cave  of  the  Ghastly  Griffin. 

The  Bee- man  went  by  himself  through  a  great  part 
of  the  mountain,  and  looked  into  many  of  its  gloomy 
caves  and  recesses,  recoiling  in  horror  from  most  of  the 
dreadful  monsters  who  met  his  eyes.  While  he  was 
wandering  about,  an  awful  roar  was  heard  resounding 
through  the  passages  of  the  mountain,  and  soon  there 
came  Happing  along  an  enormous  dragon,  with  body 
black  as  night,  and  wings  and  tail  of  fiery  red.  In 
his  great  fore-claws  he  bore  a' little  baby. 

4 *  Horrible! lf  exclaimed  the  Bee-man.  "He  is 
taking  that  little  creature  to  his  cave  to  devour  it." 

He  saw  the  dragon  enter  a  cave  not  far  away,  and 
following  looked  in.     The  dragon  was  crouched  upon 
the  ground  with  the  little  baby  lying  before  him.     It 
did  not  seem  to  be  hurt,  but  was  frightened  and  cry 
ing.     The  monster  was  looking  upon  it  with  delight, 


12  THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 

as  if  he  intended  to  make  a  dainty  meal  of  it  as  soon 
as  his  appetite  should  be  a  little  stronger. 

u  It  is  too  bad  !  "  thought  the  Bee-man.  "  Somebody 
ought  to  do  something.'*  And  turning  around,  he  ran 
away  as  fast  as  he  could. 

He  ran  through  various  passages  until  he  came  to 
the  spot  where  he  had  left  his  bee-hive.  Picking  it 
up,  he  hurried  back,  carrying  the  hive  in  his  two  hands 
before  him.  When  he  reached  the  cave  of  the  dragon, 
he  looked  in  and  saw  the  monster  still  crouched  over 
the  weeping  child.  Without  a  moment's  hesitation, 
the  Bee-man  rushed  into  the  cave  and  threw  his  hive 
straight  into  the  face  of  the  dragon.  The  bees, 
enraged  by  the  shock,  rushed  out  in  an  angry  crowd 
and  immediately  fell  upon  the  head,  mouth,  eyes,  and 
nose  of  the  dragon.  The  great  monster,  astounded 
by  this  sudden  attack,  and  driven  almost  wild  by  the 
numberless  stings  of  the  bees,  sprang  back  to  the 
farthest  portion  of  his  cave,  still  followed  by  his 
relentless  enemies,  at  whom  he  flapped  wildly  with 
his  great  wings  and  struck  with  his  paws.  While  the 
dragon  was  thus  engaged  with  the  bees,  the  Bee-man 
rushed  forward,  and,  seizing  the  child,  he  hurried 
away.  He  did  not  stop  to  pick  up  his  doublet,  but 
kept  on  until  he  reached  the  entrance  of  the  caves. 
There  he  saw  the  Very  Imp  hopping  along  on  one  leg, 
and  rubbing  his  back  and  shoulders  with  his  hands, 
and  stopped  to  inquire  what  was  the  matter,  and  what 
had  become  of  the  Languid  Youth. 

"He  is  no  kind  of  a  fellow/'  said  the  Very  Imp. 
"  He  disappointed  me  dreadfully.  I  took  him  up  to 


THE  BEF-MAN  OF  ORN.  18 

the  Ghastly  Griffin,  and  told  him  the  thing  was  en 
chanted,  and  that  he  might  sit  on  its  back  and  thinr 
about  what  it  could  do  if  it  was  awake;  and  whec 
he  came  near  it  the  wretched  creature  opened  its  eyes, 
and  raised  its  head,  and  then  you  ought  to  have  seen 
how  mad  that  simpleton  was.  He  made  a  dash  at  me 
and  seized  me  by  the  ears ;  he  kicked  and  beat  me 
till  I  can  scarcely  move." 

"  His  energies  must  have  been  toned  up  a  good 
deal,"  said  the  Bee-man. 

44  Toned  up  !  I  should  say  so !  "  cried  the  other.  "  I 
raised  a  howl,  and  a  Scissor-jawed  Clipper  came  out 
of  his  hole,  and  got  after  him  ;  but  that  lazy  fool  ran 
so  fast  that  he  could  not  be  caught." 

The  Bee-man  now  ran  on  and  soon  overtook  the 
Languid  Youth. 

44  You  need  not  be  in  a  hurry  now,"  said  the  latter, 
"  for  the  rules  of  this  institution  don't  allow  the 
creatures  inside  to  come  out  of  this  opening,  or  to  hang 
around  it.  If  they  did,  they  would  frighten  away 
visitors.  They  go  in  and  out  of  holes  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  mountain." 

The  two  proceeded  on  their  way. 

44  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  that  baby?  "  said 
the  Languid  Youth. 

44 1  shall  carry  it  along  with  me,"  said  the  Bee-man, 
4 '  as  I  go  on  with  my  search,  and  perhaps  I  may  find 
its  mother.  If  I  do  not,  I  shall  give  it  to  somebody 
in  that  little  village  yonder.  Any  thing  would  be  bet 
ter  than  leaving  it  to  be  devoured  by  that  horrid 
dragon.1' 


14  THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 

"  Let  me  carry  it.  I  feel  quite  strong  enough  now 
to  carry  a  baby." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  the  Bee-man,  "  but  I  can  take 
it  myself.  I  like  to  carry  something,  and  I  have  now 
neither  my  hive  nor  my  doublet." 

44  It  is  very  well  that  you  had  to  leave  them  behind," 
said  the  Youth,  "  for  the  bees  would  have  stung  the 
baby." 

44  My  bees  never  sting  babies,"  said  the  other. 

44  They  probably  never  had  a  chance,"  remarked  his 
companion. 

They  soon  entered  the  village,  and  after  walking  a 
short  distance  the  youth  exclaimed :  4 '  Do  you  see  that 
woman  over  there  sitting  at  the  door  of  her  house? 
She  has  beautiful  hair  and  she  is  tearing  it  all  to 
pieces.  She  should  not  be  allowed  to  do  that." 

44  No,"  said  the  Bee-man.  "  Her  friends  should  tie 
her  hands." 

44  Perhaps  she  is  the  mother  of  this  child,"  said  the 
Youth,  "  and  if  you  give  it  to  her  she  will  no  longer 
think  of  tearing  her  hair." 

41  But,"  said  the  Bee-man,  4t  you  don't  really  think 
this  is  her  child  ? ' ' 

44  Suppose  you  go  over  and  see,"  said  the  other. 

The  Bee -man  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  he 
walked  toward  the  woman.  Hearing  him  coming,  she 
raised  her  head,  and  when  she  saw  the  child  she  rushed 
towards  it,  snatched  it  into  her  arms,  and  screaming 
with  joy  she  covered  it  with  kisses.  Then  with  happy 
tears  she  begged  to  know  the  story  of  the  rescue  of 
her  child,  whom  she  never  expected  to  see  again ;  and 


THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN.  15 

she  loaded  the  Bee-man  with  thanks  and  blessings. 
The  friends  and  neighl>ors  gathered  around  and  there 
was  great  rejoicing.  The  mother  urged  the  lice-man 
and  the  Youth  to  stay  with  her,  and  rest  and  refresh 
themselves,  which  they  were  glad  to  do  as  they  were 
tired  and  hungry. 

They  remained  at  the  cottage  all  night,  and  in  the 
afternoon  of  the  next  day  the  Bee-man  said  to  the 
Youth  :  "  It  may  seem  an  odd  thing  to  you,  but  never  in 
all  my  life  have  I  felt  myself  drawn  towards  any  living 
being  as  I  am  drawn  towards  this  baby.  Therefore  I 
believe  that  I  have  been  transformed  from  a  baby." 

44  Good !  "  cried  the  Youth.  "  It  is  my  opinion  that 
you  have  hit  the  truth.  And  now  would  you  like  to 
be  changed  back  to  your  original  form?  " 

"  Indeed  I  would !  "  said  the  Bee-man,  "  I  have  the 
strongest  yearning  to  be  what  I  originally  was." 

The  Youth,  who  had  now  lost  every  trace  of  languid 
feeling,  took  a  great  interest  in  the  matter,  and  early 
the  next  morning  started  off  to  inform  the  Junior 
Sorcerer  that  the  Bee-man  had  discovered  what  he  had 
been  transformed  from,  and  desired  to  be  changed 
back  to  it. 

The  Junior  Sorcerer  and  his  learned  Masters  were 
filled  with  enthusiasm  when  they  heard  this  report,  and 
they  at  once  set  out  for  the  mother's  cottage.  And 
there  by  magic  arts  the  Bee-man  was  changed  back 
into  a  baby.  The  mother  was  so  grateful  for  what 
the  Bee-man  had  done  for  her  that  she  agreed  to 
take  charge  of  this  baby,  and  to  bring  it  up  as  her 
own. 


16  THE  BEE-MAN  OF  ORN. 

"  It  will  be  a  grand  thing  for  him,"  said  the  Junior 
Sorcerer,  "  and  I  am  glad  that  I  studied  his  case.  He 
will  now  have  a  fresh  start  in  life,  and  will  have  a 
chance  to  become  something  better  than  a  miserable 
old  man  living  in  a  wretched  hut  with  no  friends  or 
companions  but  buzzing  bees." 

The  Junior  Sorcerer  and  his  Masters  then  returned 
to  their  homes,  happy  in  the  success  of  their  great 
performance ;  and  the  Youth  went  back  to  his  home 
anxious  to  begin  a  life  of  activity  and  energy. 

Years  and  years  afterward,  when  the  Junior  Sorcerer 
had  become  a  Senior  and  was  very  old  indeed,  he 
passed  through  the  country  of  Orn,  and  noticed  a  small 
hut  about  which  swarms  of  bees  were  flying.  He  ap 
proached  it,  and  looking  in  at  the  door  he  saw  an  old 
man  in  a  leathern  doublet,  sitting  at  a  table,  eating 
honey.  By  his  magic  art  he  knew  this  was  the  baby 
which  had  been  transformed  from  the  Bee-man. 

"  Upon  my  word!"  exclaimed  the  Sorcerer,  "He 
has  grown  into  the  same  thing  again !  " 


THE  GRIFFIN  AND  THE   MINOR  CANON. 


OVER  the  great  door  of  an  old,  old  church  which 
stood  in  a  quiet  town  of  a  far-away  land  there 
was  carved  in  stone  the  figure  of  a  large  griffin.  The 
old-time  sculptor  had  done  his  work  with  great  care, 
but  the  image  he  had  made  was  not  a  pleasant  one  to 
look  at.  It  had  a  large  head,  with  enormous  open 
mouth  and  savage  teeth ;  from  its  back  arose  great 
wings,  armed  with  sharp  hooks  and  prongs  ;  it  had  stout 
legs  in  front,  with  projecting  claws  ;  but  there  were 
no  legs  behind,  —  the  body  running  out  into  a  long  and 
powerful  tail,  finished  off  at  the  end  with  a  barbed 
point.  This  tail  was  coiled  up  under  him,  the  end 
sticking  up  just  back  of  his  wings. 

The  sculptor,  or  the  people  who  had  ordered  this 
stone  figure,  had  evidently  been  very  much  pleased 
with  it,  for  little  copies  of  it,  also  in  stone,  had  been 
placed  here  and  there  along  the  sides  of  the  church, 
not  very  far  from  the  ground,  so  that  people  could 
easily  look  at  them,  and  ponder  on  their  curious  forms. 
There  were  a  great  many  other  sculptures  on  the  out 
side  of  this  church,  —  saints,  martyrs,  grotesque  heads 
of  men,  beasts,  and  birds,  as  well  as  those  of  other 

v     17 


18          THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR   CANON. 

creatures  which  cannot  be  named,  because  nobody 
knows  exactly  what  they  were ;  but  none  were  so 
curious  and  interesting  as  the  great  griffin  over  the 
door,  and  the  little  griffins  on  the  sides  of  the  church. 
A  long,  long  distance  from  the  town,  in  the  midst 
of  dreadful  wilds  scarcely  known  to  man,  there  dwelt 
the  Griilin  whose  image  had  been  put  up  over  the 
church-door.  In  some  way  or  other,  the  old-time 
sculptor  had  seen  him,  and  afterward,  to  the  best  of 
his  memory,  had  copied  his  figure  in  stone.  The 
Griffin  had  never  known  this,  until,  hundreds  of  years 
afterward,  he  heard  from  a  bird,  from  a  wild  animal, 
or  in  some  manner  which  it  is  not  now  easy  to  find 
out,  that  there  was  a  likeness  of  him  on  the  old  church 
in  the  distant  town.  Now,  this  Griffin  had  no  idea 
how  he  looked.  He  had  never  seen  a  mirror,  and  the 
streams  where  he  lived  were  so  turbulent  and  violent 
that  a  quiet  piece  of  water,  which  would  reflect  the 
image  of  any  thing  looking  into  it,  could  not  be  found. 
Being,  as  far  as  could  be  ascertained,  the  very  last  of 
his  race,  he  had  never  seen  another  griffin.  There 
fore  it  was,  that,  when  he  heard  of  this  stone  image 
of  himself,  he  became  very  anxious  to  know  what  he 
looked  like,  and  at  last  he  determined  to  go  to  the  old 
c&urch,  and  see  for  himself  what  manner  of  being  he 
rT>>.  So  he  started  off  from  the  dreadful  wilds,  and 
.low  on  and  on  until  he  came  to  the  countries  inhabited 
by  men,  where  his  appearance  in  the  air  created  great 
consternation  ;  but  he  alighted  nowhere,  keeping  up  a 
steady  flight  until  he  reached  the  suburbs  of  the  town 
had  his  image  on  its  church.  Here,  late  in  the 


THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR  CANON.  19 

afternoon,  he  alighted  in  a  green  meadow  by  the  side 
of  a  brook,  and  stretched  himself  on  the  grass  to  rest. 
His  great  wings  were  tired,  for  he  had  not  made  such 
r.  *oug  flight  in  a  century,  or  more. 

The  news  of  his  coming  spread  quickly  over  the 
town,  and  the  people,  frightened  nearly  out  of  their 
wits  by  the  arrival  of  so  extraordinary  a  visitor,  fled 
into  their  houses,  and  shut  themselves  up.  The  Griffin 
called  loudly  for  some  one  to  come  to  him,  but  the 
more  he  called,  the  more  afraid  the  people  were  to 
show  themselves.  At  length  he  saw  two  laborers  hurry 
ing  to  their  homes  through  the  fields,  and  in  a  terrible 
voice  he  commanded  them  to  stop.  Not  daring  to 
disobey,  the  men  stood,  trembling. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you  all?"  cried  the 
Griffin.  u  Is  there  not  a  man  in  your  town  who  is 
brave  enough  to  speak  to  me?  " 

44 1  think,"  said  one  of  the  laborers,  his  voice  shak 
ing  so  that  his  words  could  hardly  be  understood, 
4 '  that  —  perhaps  —  the  Minor  Canon  —  would  come. " 

44  Go,  call  him,  then!"  said  the  Griffin;  "I  want 
to  see  him.*' 

The  Minor  Canon,  who  filled  a  subordinate  position 
in  the  old  church,  had  just  finished  the  afternoon  ser 
vices,  and  was  coming  out  of  a  side  door,  with  three 
aged  women  who  had  formed  the  week-day  congrega 
tion.  He  was  a  young  man  of  a  kind  disposition,  and 
very  anxious  to  do  good  to  the  people  of  the  town. 
Apart  from  his  duties  in  the  church,  where  he  con 
ducted  services  every  week-day,  he  visited  the  sick 
uiid  the  poor,  counselled  and  assisted  persons  who  were 


20         THE  GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR  CANON. 

in  trouble,  and  taught  a  school  composed  entirely  of 
the  bad  children  in  the  town  with  whom  nobody  else 
would  have  any  thing  to  do.  Whenever  the  people 
wanted  something  difficult  done  for  them,  they  always 
went  to  the  Minor  Canon.  Thus  it  was  that  the 
laborer  thought  of  the  j'oung  priest  when  he  found  that 
some  one  must  come  and  speak  to  the  Griffin . 

The  Minor  Canon  had  not  heard  of  the  strange 
event,  which  was  known  to  the  whole  town  except 
himself  and  the  three  old  women,  and  when  he  was 
informed  of  it,  and  was  told  that  the  Griffin  had  asked 
to  see  him,  he  was  greatly  amazed,  and  frightened. 

"Me!"  he  exclaimed.  "  He  has  never  heard  of 
me  !  What  should  he  want  with  me?  " 

44  Oh  !  you  must  go  instantly  !  "  cried  the  two  men. 
44  He  is  very  angry  now  because  he  has  been  kept  wait 
ing  so  long ;  and  nobody  knows  what  may  happen  if 
you  don't  hurry  to  him." 

The  poor  Minor  Canon  would  rather  have  had  his 
hand  cut  off  than  go  out  to  meet  an  angry  griffin  ;  but 
he  felt  that  it  was  his  duty  to  go,  for  it  would  be  a 
woful  thing  if  injury  should  come  to  the  people  of  the 
town  because  he  was  not  brave  enough  to  obey  the 
summons  of  the  Griffin.  So,  pale  and  frightened,  he 
started  off. 

44  Well,"  said  the  Griffin,  as  soon  as  the  young  man 
came  near,  44 1  am  glad  to  see  that  there  is  some  one 
who  has  the  courage  to  come  to  me." 

The  Minor  Canon  did  not  feel  very  courageous,  but 
he  bowed  his  head. 

44  Is  this  the  town,"  said  the  Griffin,  "where  there 


THE   GRIFFIN   AND   THE  MINOR   CANON.          2l 

is  a  church  with  a  likeness  of  myself  over  one  of  t!^e 
doors?" 

The  Minor  Canon  looked  at  the  frightful  creature 
before  him  and  saw  that  it  was,  without  doubt,  exactly 
like  the  stone  image  on  the  church.  "  Yes,"  he  said, 
kk  you  are  right." 

"  Well,  then,"  said  the  Griffin,  "  will  you  take  me 
to  it?  I  wish  very  much  to  see  it." 

The  Minor  Canon  instantly  thought  that  if  the  Griffin 
entered  the  town  without  the  people  knowing  what  he 
came  for,  some  of  them  would  probably  be  frightened 
to  death,  and  so  he  sought  to  gain  time  to  prepare 
their  minds. 

44  It  is  growing  dark,  now,"  he  said,  very  much 
afraid,  as  he  spoke,  that  his  words  might  enrage  the 
Grittm,  u  and  objects  on  the  front  of  the  church  can 
not  be  seen  clearly.  It  will  be  better  to  wait  until 
morning,  if  you  wish  to  get  a  good  view  of  the  stone 
image  of  yourself." 

"  That  will  suit  me  very  well,"  said  the  Griffin.  "  1 
see  you  are  a  man  of  good  sense.  I  am  tired,  and  I 
will  take  a  nap  here  on  this  soft  grass,  while  I  cool  my 
tail  in  the  little  stream  that  runs  near  me.  The  end  of 
my  tail  gets  red-hot  when  I  am  angry  or  excited,  and 
it  is  quite  warm  now.  So  you  may  go,  but  be  sure 
and  come  early  to-morrow  morning,  and  show  me  the 
way  to  the  church. 

The  Minor  Canon  was  glad  enough  to  take  his  leave, 
and  hurried  into  the  town.  In  front  of  the  church  he 
found  a  great  many  people  assembled  to  hear  his 
report  of  his  interview  with  the  Griffin.  When  they 


22          THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR   CANON. 

found  that  he  had  not  come  to  spread  ruin  and  devas 
tation,  but  simply  to  see  his  stony  likeness  on  the 
ihurch,  they  showed  neither  relief  nor  gratification, 
out  began  to  upbraid  the  Minor  Canon  for  consenting 
to  conduct  the  creature  into  the  town. 

"  What  could  I  do?  "  cried  the  young  man.  "If  I 
should  not  bring  him  he  would  come  himself  and, 
perhaps,  end  by  setting  fire  to  the  town  with  his  red- 
hot  tail." 

Still  the  people  were  not  satisfied,  and  a  great  many 
plans  were  proposed  to  prevent  the  Griffin  from  com 
ing  into  the  town.  Some  elderly  persons  urged  that 
the  young  men  should  go  out  and  kill  him  ;  but  the 
young  men  scoffed  at  such  a  ridiculous  idea.  Then 
some  one  said  that  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  destroy 
the  stone  image  so  that  the  Griffin  would  have  no 
excuse  for  entering  the  town  ;  and  this  proposal  was 
received  with  such  favor  that  many  of  the  people  ran 
for  hammers,  chisels,  and  crowbars,  with  which  to  tear 
down  and  break  up  the  stone  griffin.  But  the  Minor 
Canon  resisted  this  plan  with  all  the  strength  of  his 
mind  and  body.  He  assured  the  people  that  this  action 
would  enrage  the  Griffin  beyond  measure,  for  it  would 
be  impossible  to  conceal  from  him  that  his  image  had 
been  destroyed  during  the  night.  But  the  people  were 
so  determined  to  break  up  the  stone  griffin  that  the 
Minor  Canon  saw  that  there  was  nothing  for  him  to  do 
but  to  stay  there  and  protect  it.  All  night  he  walked 
up  and  down  in  front  of  the  church-door,  keeping 
away  the  men  who  brought  ladders,  by  which  they 
might  mount  to  the  great  stone  griffin,  and  knock  it 


THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR   CANON.          21 

to  pieces  with  their  hammers  and  crowbars.  After 
man)-  hours  the  people  were  obliged  to  give  up  their 
attempts,  and  went  home  to  sleep ;  but  the  Minor 
Canon  remained  at  his  post  till  early  morning,  and 
then  he  hurried  away  to  the  field  where  he  had  left  the 
Griffin. 

The  monster  had  just  awakened,  and  rising  to  his 
fore-legs  and  shaking  himself,  he  said  that  he  was 
ready  to  go  into  the  town.  The  Minor  Canon,  there 
fore,  walked  back,  the  Griffin  flying  slovvl}'  through 
the  air,  at  a  short  distance  above  the  head  of  his  guide. 
Not  a  person  was  to  be  seen  in  the  streets,  and  they 
proceeded  directly  to  the  front  of  the  church,  where 
the  Minor  Canon  pointed  out  the  stone  griffin. 

The  real  Griffin  settled  down  in  the  little  square 
before  the  church  and  gazed  earnestly  at  his  sculptured 
likeness.  For  a  long  time  he  looked  at  it.  First  he 
put  his  head  on  one  side,  and  then  he  put  it  on  the 
other ;  then  he  shut  his  right  eye  and  gazed  with  his 
left,  after  which  he  shut  his  left  eye  and  gazed  with 
his  right.  Then  he  moved  a  little  to  one  side  and 
looked  at  the  image,  then  he  moved  the  other  way. 
After  a  while  he  said  to  the  Minor  Canon,  who  had 
been  standing  by  all  this  time : 

"  It  is,  it  must  be,  an  excellent  likeness!  Thn* 
breadth  between  the  eyes,  that  expansive  foreli  ad. 
those  massive  jaws  !  I  feel  that  it  must  resemble  me. 
If  there  is  any  fault  to  find  with  it,  it  is  that  the  iiec-k 
seems  a  little  stiff.  But  that  is  nothing.  It  is  an 
admirable  likeness,  —  admirable  ! ' ' 

The  Griffin  sat  looking  at  his  image  all  the  morning 


24  THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR  CANON. 

and  all  the  afternoon.  The  Minor  Canon  had  been 
afraid  to  go  away  and  leave  him,  and  had  hoped  al' 
through  the  day  that  he  would  soon  be  satisfied  wit! 
his  inspection  and  fly  away  home.  But  by  evening 
the  poor  young  man  was  utterly  exhausted,  and  felt 
that  he  must  eat  and  sleep.  He  frankly  admitted  this 
fact  to  the  Griffin,  and  asked  him  if  he  would  not  like 
something  to  eat.  He  said  this  because  he  felt  obliged 
in  politeness  to  do  so,  but  as  soon  as  he  had  spoken 
the  words,  he  was  seized  with  dread  lest  the  monster 
should  demand  half  a  dozen  babies,  or  some  tempting 
repast  of  that  kind. 

"Oh,  no,"  said  the  Griffin,  "I  never  eat  between 
the  equinoxes.  At  the  vernal  and  at  the  autumnal 
equinox  I  take  a  good  meal,  and  that  lasts  me  for 
half  a  year.  I  am  extremely  regular  in  my  habits, 
and  do  not  think  it  healthful  to  eat  at  odd  times.  But 
if  you  need  food,  go  and  get  it,  and  I  will  return  to 
the  soft  grass  where  I  slept  last  night  and  take  another 
nap.'* 

The  next  day  the  Griffin  came  again  to  the  little 
square  before  the  church,  and  remained  there  until 
evening,  steadfastly  regarding  the  stone  griffin  over 
the  door.  The  Minor  Canon  came  once  or  twice  to 
look  at  him,  and  the  Griffin  seemed  very  glad  to  see 
him  ;  but  the  young  clergyman  could  not  stay  as  he 
had  done  before,  for  he  had  many  duties  to  perform. 
Nobody  went  to  the  church,  but  the  people  came  to 
the  Minor  Canon's  house,  and  anxiously  asked  him 
how  long  the  Griffin  was  going  to  stay. 

"I  do  not  know,"  he  answered,  "but  I  think  he 


THE   GRIFFIN  AND    THE   ^ffNOR   CANON.          25 

will  soon  1)0  satisfied  with  regarding  his  stone  likeness, 
and  then  he  will  go  away." 

Hut  the  Griffin  did  not  go  away.  Morning  after 
morning  he  came  to  the  church,  bat  after  a  time  he 
did  not  stay  there  all  day.  He  seemed  to  have  taken 
a  great  fancy  to  the  Minor  Canon,  and  followed  him 
about  us  he  pursued  his  various  avocations.  He  would 
wait  for  him  at  the  side  door  of  the  church,  for  the 
Minor  Canon  held  services  every  da3',  morning  and 
evening,  though  nobody  came  now.  "  If  any  one 
should  come/'  he  said  to  himself,  "  I  must  be  found 
at  my  post."  When  the  young  man  came  out,  the 
(Irillin  would  accompany  him  in  his  visits  to  the  sick 
and  the  poor,  and  would  often  look  into  the  windows 
of  the  school-house  where  the  Minor  Canon  was  teach 
ing  his  unruly  scholars.  All  the  other  schools  were 
closed,  but  the  parents  of  the  Minor  Canon's  scholars 
forced  them  to  go  to  school,  because  they  were  so  bad 
they  could  not  endure  them  all  day  at  home,  —  griffin 
or  no  griffin.  But  it  must  be  said  they  generally 
behaved  very  well  when  that  great  monster  sat  up  on 
his  tail  and  looked  in  at  the  school-room  window. 

When  it  was  perceived  that  the  Griffin  showed  no 
sign  of  going  away,  all  the  people  who  were  able  to 
do  so  left  the  town.  The  canons  and  the  higher 
oflicers  of  the  church  had  fled  away  during  the  first 
day  of  the  (Liffin's  visit,  leaving  behind  only  the 
Minor  Canon  and  some  of  the  men  who  opened  the 
doors  and  swept  the  church.  All  the  citizens  who 
could  afford  it  shut  up  their  houses  and  travelled  to 
distant  parts,  and  only  the  working  people  and  the 


26  THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR  CANON. 

poor  were  left  behind.     After  some  days  these  ven 
tured  to  go  about  and  attend  to  their  business,  for  i 
they  did  not  work  they  would  starve.     They  were  get 
ting  a  little  used  to  seeing  the  Griffin,  and  having  been 
told  that  he  did  not  eat  between  equinoxes,  they  did 
not  feel  so  much  afraid  of  him  as  before. 

Day  by  day  the  Griffin  became  more  and  more 
attached  to  the  Minor  Canon.  He  kept  near  him  a 
great  part  of  the  time,  and  often  spent  the  night  in 
front  of  the  little  house  where  the  young  clergyman 
lived  alone.  This  strange  companionship  was  often 
burdensome  to  the  Minor  Canon ;  but,  on  the  other 
hand,  he  could  not  deny  that  he  derived  a  great  deal 
of  benefit  and  instruction  from  it.  The  Griffin  had 
lived  for  hundreds  of  years,  and  had  seen  much ;  and 
he  told  the  Minor  Canon  many  wonderful  things. 

"It  is  like  reading  an  old  book,"  said  the  young 
clergyman  to  himself ;  "  but  how  many  books  I  would 
have  had  to  read  before  I  would  have  found  out  what 
the  Griffin  has  told  me  about  the  earth,  the  air,  the 
water,  about  minerals,  and  metals,  and  growing  things, 
and  all  the  wonders  of  the  world !  " 

Thus  the  summer  went  on,  and  drew  toward  its 
close.  And  now  the  people  of  the  town  began  to  be 
very  much  troubled  again. 

"It  will  not  be  long,"  they  said,  "before  the 
autumnal  equinox  is  here,  and  then  that  monster  will 
want  to  eat.  He  will  be  dreadfully  hungry,  for  he 
has  taken  so  much  exercise  since  his  last  meal.  He 
will  devour  our  children.  Without  doubt,  he  will  eat 
them  all.  What  is  to  be  done?  " 


THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR  CANON.          27 

To  this  question  no  one  could  give  an  answer,  bu; 
all  agreed  that  the  Griffin  must  not  be  allowed  to 
remain  until  the  approaching  equinox.  After  talking 
over  the  matter  a  great  deal,  a  crowd  of  the  people 
went  to  tin-  Minor  Canon,  at  a  time  when  the  Griffin 
was  not  with  him. 

"  It  is  all  your  fault,"  they  said,  "  that  that  monster 
is  among  us.  You  brought  him  acre,  and  you  ought 
to  see  that  he  goes  away.  It  is  only  on  your  account 
that  he  stays  here  at  all,  for,  although  he  visits  his 
image  every  day,  he  is  with  you  the  greater  part  of  the 
time.  If  you  were  not  here,  he  would  not  stay.  It 
is  your  duty  to  go  away  and  then  he  will  follow  you, 
and  we  shall  be  free  from  the  dreadful  danger  which 
hangs  over  us." 

"  Go  away  !  "  cried  the  Minor  Canon,  greatly  grieved 
at  being  spoken  to  in  such  a  way.  "Where  shall  I 
go?  If  I  go  to  some  other  town,  shall  I  not  take  this 
trouble  there  ?  Have  I  a  right  to  do  that  ?  ' ' 

"  No,"  said  the  people,  u  you  must  not  go  to  any 
other  town.  There  is  no  town  far  enough  away. 
You  must  go  to  the  dreadful  wilds  where  the  Griffin 
lives  ;  and  then  he  will  follow  you  and  stay  there." 

They  did  not  say  whether  or  not  they  expected  the 
Minor  Canon  to  stay  there  also,  and  he  did  not  ask  them 
any  thing  about  it.  He  bowed  his  head,  and  went  into 
his  house,  to  think.  The  more  he  thought,  the  more 
clear  it  became  to  his  mind  that  it  was  his  duty  to  go 
away,  and  thus  free  the  town  from  the  presence  of  *,ne 
Griffin. 

That  evening  he  packed  a  leathern  bag  full  of  bread 


28          THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR   CANON. 

^ 

and  meat,  and  early  the  next  morning  he  set  out  on 
his  journey  to  the  dreadful  wilds.  It  was  a  long, 
weary,  and  doleful  journey,  especially  after  he  had 
gone  beyond  the  habitations  of  men,  but  the  Minor 
Canon  kept  on  bravely,  and  never  faltered.  The  way 
was  longer  than  he  had  expected,  and  his  provisions 
soon  grew  so  scanty  that  he  was  obliged  to  eat  but  a 
little  every  day,  but  he  kept  up  his  courage,  and 
pressed  on,  and,  after  many  days  of  toilsome  travel, 
he  reached  the  dreadful  wrilds. 

When  the  Griffin  found  that  the  Minor  Canon  had 
left  the  town  he  seemed  sorry,  but  showed  no  disposi 
tion  to  go  and  look  for  him.  After  a  few  days  had 
passed,  he  became  much  annoyed,  and  asked  some  of 
the  people  where  the  Minor  Canon  had  gone.  But, 
although  the  citizens  had  been  so  anxious  that  the 
young  clergyman  should  go  to  the  dreadful  wilds, 
thinking  that  the  Griffin  would  immediately  follow 
him,  they  were  now  afraid  to  mention  the  Minor 
Canon's  destination,  for  the  monster  seemed  angry 
already,  and,  if  he  should  suspect  their  trick  he  would, 
doubtless,  become  very  much  enraged.  So  every  one 
said  he  did  not  know,  and  the  Griffin  wandered  about 
disconsolate.  One  morning  he  looked  into  the  Minor 
Canon's  school-house,  which  was  always  empty  now, 
and  thought  that  it  was  a  shame  that  every  thing 
should  suffer  on  account  of  the  young  man's  absence. 

"It  does  not  matter  so  much  about  the  church," 
he  said,  "for  nobody  went  there;  but  it  is  a  pity 
about  the  school.  I  think  I  will  teach  it  myself  until 
he  returns." 


TFTE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR  CANOff.          2fc 

It  was  the  hour  for  opening  the  school,  and  th* 
Griffin  went  inside  and  pulled  the  rope  which  rang 
the  school-bell.  Some  of  the  children  who  heard  the 
bell  ran  in  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  supposing  it 
to  be  a  joke  of  one  of  their  companions ;  but  when 
they  saw  the  Griffin  they  stood  astonished,  and 
scared. 

"  Go  tell  the  other  scholars/'  said  the  monster, 
"  that  school  is  about  to  open,  and  that  if  the}'  are 
not  all  here  in  ten  minutes,  I  shall  come  after  them." 

In  seven  minutes  every  scholar  was  in  place. 

Never  was  seen  such  an  orderly  school.  Not  a  boy 
or  girl  moved,  or  uttered  a  whisper.  The  Griffin 
climbed  into  the  master's  seat,  his  wide  wings  spread 
on  each  side  of  him,  because  he  could  not  lean  back 
in  his  chair  while  they  stuck  out  behind,  and  his  great 
tail  coiled  around,  in  front  of  the  desk,  the  barbed 
end  sticking  up,  ready  to  tap  any  boy  or  girl  who 
might  misbehave.  The  Griffin  now  addressed  the 
scholars,  telling  them  that  he  intended  to  teach  them 
while  their  master  was  away.  In  speaking  he  en 
deavored  to  imitate,  as  far  as  possible,  the  mild  and 
gentle  tones  of  the  Minor  Canon,  but  it  must  be 
admitted  that  in  this  he  was  not  very  successful.  He 
had  paid  a  good  deal  of  attention  to  the  studies  of  the 
school,  and  he  determined  not  to  attempt  to  teach 
them  any  thing  new,  but  to  review  them  in  what  they 
had  been  studying ;  so  he  called  up  the  various  classes, 
and  questioned  them  upon  their  previous  lessons.  The 
children  racked  their  brains  to  remember  what  they 
had  learned.  They  were  so  afraid  of  the  Griffin's  dis- 


30          THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR  CANON. 

pleasure  that  they  recited  as  they  had  never  recitec 
before.  One  of  the  boys,  far  down  in  his  class 
answered  so  well  that  the  Griffin  was  astonished. 

"  I  should  think  you  would  be  at  the  head,"  said  he. 
u  I  am  sure  you  have  never  been  in  the  habit  of  recit 
ing  so  well.  Why  is  this?  " 

"Because  I  did  not  choose  to  take  the  trouble," 
said  the  boy,  trembling  in  his  boots.  He  felt  obliged 
to  speak  the  truth,  for  all  the  children  thought  that  the 
great  eyes  of  the  Griffin  could  see  right  through  them, 
and  that  he  would  know  when  they  told  a  falsehood. 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself,"  said  the 
Griffin.  "  Go  down  to  the  very  tail  of  the  class,  and 
if  you  are  not  at  the  head  in  two  days,  I  shall  know  the 
reason  why." 

The  next  afternoon  this  boy  was  number  one. 

It  was  astonishing  how  much  these  children  now 
learned  of  what  they  had  been  studying.  It  was  as  if 
they  had  been  educated  over  again.  The  Griffin  used 
no  severity  toward  them,  but  there  was  a  look  about 
him  which  made  them  unwilling  to  go  to  bed  until  they 
were  sure  they  knew  their  lessons  for  the  next  day. 

The  Griffin  now  thought  that  he  ought  to  visit  the 
sick  and  the  poor ;  and  he  began  to  go  about  the  town 
for  this  purpose.  The  effect  upon  the  sick  was  mirac 
ulous.  All,  except  those  who  were  very  ill  indeed, 
jumped  from  their  beds  when  they  heard  he  was  com 
ing,  and  declared  themselves  quite  well.  To  those 
who  could  not  get  up,  he  gave  herbs  and  roots,  which 
none  of  them  had  ever  before  thought  of  as  medicines, 
but  which  the  Griffin  had  seen  used  in  various  parts  of 


THE   GRIFFIN  AND   TKti  MINOR  CANON.          51 

the  world  ;  and  most  of  them  recovered.  But,  for  all 
that,  they  afterward  said  that  no  matter  what  hap 
pened  to  them,  they  hoped  that  they  should  never 
again  have  such  a  doctor  coming  to  their  bed-sides, 
feeling  their  pulses  and  looking  at  their  tongues. 

As  for  the  poor,  they  seemed  to  have  utterly  disap 
peared.  All  those  who  had  depended  upon  charity  for 
their  daily  bread  were  now  at  work  in  some  way  or 
other ;  many  of  them  offering  to  do  odd  jobs  for  their 
neighbors  just  for  the  sake  of  their  meals, — a  thing 
which  before  had  been  seldom  heard  of  in  the  town. 
The  Griffin  could  find  no  one  who  needed  his  assistance. 

The  summer  had  now  passed,  and  the  autumnal 
equinox  was  rapidly  approaching.  The  citizens  were 
in  a  state  of  great  alarm  and  anxiety.  The  Griffin 
showed  no  signs  of  going  away,  but  seemed  to  have 
settled  himself  permanently  among  them.  In  a  short 
time,  the  day  for  his  semi-annual  meal  would  arrive, 
and  then  what  would  happen?  The  monster  would 
certainly  be  very  hungry,  and  would  devour  all  their 
children. 

Now  they  greatly  regretted  and  lamented  that  they 
had  sent  away  the  Minor  Canon  ;  he  was  the  only  one 
on  whom  they  could  have  depended  in  this  trouble,  for 
he  could  talk  freely  with  the  Griffin,  and  so  find  out 
what  could  be  done.  But  it  would  not  do  to  be  in 
active.  Some  step  must  be  taken  immediately.  A 
•meeting  of  the  citizens  was  called,  and  two  old  men 
were  appointed  to  go  and  talk  to  the  Griffin.  They 
wet-e  instructed  to  offer  to  prepare  a  splendid  dinner 
for  him  on  equinox  day,  —  one  which  would  entirely 


32         THE  GRIFFIN  AND  THE  MINOR  CANON. 

satisfy  his  hunger.  They  would  offer  him  the  fattest 
mutton,  the  most  tender  beef,  fish,  and  game  of 
various  sorts,  and  any  thing  of  the  kind  that  he  might 
fancy.  If  none  of  these  suited,  they  were  to  mention 
that  there  was  an  orphan  asylum  in  the  next  town. 

"Anything  would  be  better,"  said  the  citizens, 
u  than  to  have  our  dear  children  devoured." 

The  old  men  went  to  the  Griffin,  but  their  proposi 
tions  were  not  received  with  favor. 

4  4  From  what  I  have  seen  of  the  people  of  this 
town,"  said  the  monster,  "I  do  not  think  I  could 
relish  any  thing  which  was  prepared  by  them.  They 
appear  to  be  all  cowards,  and,  therefore,  mean  and 
selfish.  As  for  eating  one  of  them,  old  or  young,  I 
could  not  think  of  it  for  a  moment.  In  fact,  there 
was  only  one  creature  in  the  whole  place  for  whom  I 
could  have  had  any  appetite,  and  that  is  the  Minor 
Canon,  who  has  gone  awa}'.  He  was  brave,  and  good, 
and  honest,  and  I  think  I  should  have  relished  him." 

41  Ah  !  "  said  one  of  the  old  men  very  politely,  "  in 
that  case  I  wish  we  had  not  sent  him  to  the  dreadful 
wilds!" 

"  What !  "  cried  the  Griffin.  "  What  do  you  mean? 
Explain  instantly  what  you  are  talking  about !  " 

The  old  man,  terribly  frightened  at  what  he  had 
said,  was  obliged  to  tell  how  the  Minor  Canon  had 
been  sent  away  by  the  people,  in  the  hope  that  the 
Griffin  might  be  induced  to  follow  him. 

When  the  monster  heard  this,  he  became  furiously 
angry.  He  dashed  away  from  the  old  men  and,  spread 
ing  his  wings,  flew  backward  and  forward  over  the 


THE  GRIFFIN  AND  THE  MINOR  CANON.          33 

town.  He  was  so  much  excited  that  his  tail  became 
red-hot,  and  glowed  like  a  meteor  against  the  evening 
sky.  When  at  last  he  settled  down  in  the  little  field 
where  he  usually  rested,  and  thrust  his  tail  into  the 
brook,  the  steam  arose  like  a  cloud,  and  the  water  of 
the  stream  ran  hot  through  the  town.  The  citizens 
were  greatly  frightened,  and  bitterly  blamed  the  old 
man  for  telling  about  the  Minor  Canon. 

4 'It  is  plain,"  they  said,  "  that  the  Griffin  intended 
at  last  to  go  and  look  for  him,  and  we  should  have 
been  saved.  Now  who  can  tell  what  misery  you  have 
brought  upon  us." 

The  Griffin  did  not  remain  long  in  the  little  field. 
As  soon  as  his  tail  was  cool  he  flew  to  the  town-hall 
and  rang  the  bell.  The  citizens  knew  that  they  were 
expected  to  come  there,  and  although  they  were  afraid 
to  go,  they  were  still  more  afraid  to  stay  away ;  and 
they  crowded  into  the  hall.  The  Griffin  was  on  the 
platform  at  one  end,  flapping  his  wings  and  walking 
up  and  down,  and  the  end  of  his  tail  was  still  so  warm 
that  it  slightly  scorched  the  boards  as  he  dragged  it 
after  him. 

When  everybody  who  was  able  to  come  was  there, 
the  Griffin  stood  still  and  addressed  the  meeting. 

"I  have  had  a  contemptible  opinion  of  you,"  he 
said,  "ever  since  I  discovered  what  cowards  you  are, 
but  I  had  no  idea  that  you  were  so  ungrateful,  selfish, 
and  cruel,  as  I  now  find  you  to  be.  Here  was  your 
Minor  Canon,  who  labored  day  and  night  for  your 
good,  and  thought  of  nothing  else  but  how  he  might 
benefit  you  and  make  you  happy  ;  and  as  soon  as  you 


34  THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR   CANON. 

imagine  yourselves  threatened  with  a  danger,  —  foT 
well  I  know  you  are  dreadfully  afraid  of  me,  —  you 
send  him  off,  caring  not  whether  he  returns  or  per 
ishes,  hoping  thereby  to  save  yourselves.  Now,  I  had 
conceived  a  great  liking  for  that  young  man,  and  had 
intended,  in  a  day  or  two,  to  go  and  look  him  up.  But 
I  have  changed  my  mind  about  him.  I  shall  go  and 
find  him,  but  I  shall  send  him  back  here  to  live  among 
you,  and  I  intend  that  he  shall  enjoy  the  reward  of  his 
labor  and  his  sacrifices.  Go,  some  of  you,  to  the  offi' 
cers  of  the  church,  who  so  cowardly  ran  away  when  I 
first  came  here,  and  tell  them  never  to  return  to  this 
town  under  penalty  of  death.  And  if,  when  you* 
Minor  Canon  comes  back  to  you,  you  do  not  bow  your 
selves  before  him,  put  him  in  the  highest  place  among 
you,  and  serve  and  honor  him  all  his  life,  beware  of 
my  terrible  vengeance !  There  were  only  two  good 
things  in  this  town :  the  Minor  Canon  and  the  stone 
image  of  myself  over  your  church-door.  One  of  these 
you  have  sent  away,  and  the  other  I  shall  carry  away 
myself." 

With  these  words  he  dismissed  the  meeting,  and  it 
was  time,  for  the  end  of  his  tail  had  become  so  hot  that 
there  was  danger  of  its  setting  fire  to  the  building. 

The  next  morning,  the  Griffin  came  to  the  church, 
and  tearing  the  stone  image  of  himself  from  its  fasten 
ings  over  the  great  door,  he  grasped  it  with  his  power- 
ful  fore-legs  and  flew  up  into  the  air.  Then,  aftei 
hovering  over  the  town  for  a  moment,  he  gave  his  tail 
an  angry  shake  and  took  up  his  flight  to  the  dreadful 
wilds.  When  he  reached  this  desolate  region,  he  set 


THE   GRIFFIN  AND  THE  MINOR  CANON.          35 

ihe  stone  Griffin  upon  a  ledge  of  a  rock  which  rose  in 
front  of  the  dismal  cave  he  called  his  home.  There  the 
image  occupied  a  position  somewhat  similar  to  that  it 
had  had  over  the  church-door ;  and  the  Griffin,  panting 
with  the  exertion  of  carrying  such  an  enormous  load 
so  so  great  a  distance,  lay  down  upon  the  ground,  and 
regarded  it  with  much  satisfaction.  When  he  felt 
somewhat  rested  he  went  to  look  for  the  Minor  Canon. 
He  found  the  young  man,  weak  and  half  starved,  lying 
under  the  shadow  of  a  rock.  After  picking  him  up 
and  carrying  him  to  his  cave,  the  Griffin  flew  away  to 
a  distant  marsh,  where  he  procured  some  roots  and 
herbs  which  he  well  knew  were  strengthening  and 
beneficial  to  man,  though  he  had  never  tasted  them 
himself.  After  eating  these  the  Minor  Canon  was 
greatly  revived,  and  sat  up  arid  listened  while  th« 
Griffin  told  him  what  had  happened  in  the  town. 

"  Do  you  know,*'  said  the  monster,  when  he  had 
finished,  "  that  I  have  had,  and  still  have,  a  great 
liking  for  you?" 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  hear  it,"  said  the  Minor  Canon, 
with  his  usual  politeness. 

44 1  am  not  at  all  sure  that  you  would  be,"  said  the 
Griffin,  "  if  you  thoroughly  understood  the  state  of 
the  case,  but  we  will  not  consider  that  now.  If  some 
things  were  different,  other  things  would  be  otherwise. 
1  have  been  so  enraged  by  discovering  the  manner  in 
which  you  have  been  treated  that  I  have  determined 
that  you  shall  at  last  enjoy  the  rewards  and  honors 
to  which  you  are  entitled.  Lie  down  and  have  a  good 
sleep,  and  then  I  will  take  you  back  to  the  town." 


36         THE  GRIFFIN  AND  THE  MINOR  CANON. 

As  he  heard  these  words,  a  look  of  trouble  came 
over  the  young  man's  face. 

"  You  need  not  give  yourself  any  anxiety,"  said  the 
Griffin,  "  about  my  return  to  the  town.  I  shall  not 
remain  there.  Now  that  I  have  that  admirable  likeness 
of  myself  in  front  of  my  cave,  where  I  can  sit  at  my 
leisure,  and  gaze  upon  its  noble  features  and  magnifi 
cent  proportions,  I  have  no  wish  to  see  that  abode  of 
cowardly  and  selfish  people." 

The  Minor  Canon,  relieved  from  his  fears,  lay  back, 
and  dropped  into  a  doze  ;  and  when  he  was  sound 
asleep  the  Griffin  took  him  up,  and  carried  him  back 
to  the  town.  He  arrived  just  before  day-break,  and 
putting  the  young  man  gently  on  the  grass  in  the  little 
field  where  he  himself  used  to  rest,  the  monster, 
without  having  been  seen  b}r  any  of  the  people,  flew 
back  to  his  home. 

When  the  Minor  Canon  made  his  appearance  in  the 
morning  among  the  citizens,  the  enthusiasm  and  cordi 
ality  with  which  he  was  received  were  truly  wonderful. 
He  was  taken  to  a  house  which  had  been  occupied  by 
one  of  the  banished  high  officers  of  the  place,  and 
every  one  was  anxious  to  do  all  that  could  be  done  for 
his  health  and  comfort.  The  people  crowded  into  the 
church  when  he  held  services,  so  that  the  three  old 
women  who  used  to  be  his  week-day  congregation  could 
not  get  to  the  best  seats,  which  they  had  always  been 
in  the  habit  of  taking  ;  and  the  parents  of  the  bad  chil 
dren  determined  to  reform  them  at  home,  in  order  that 
he  might  be  spared  the  trouble  of  keeping  up  his 
former  school.  The  Minor  Canon  was  appointed  to 


THE   GRIFFIN  AND   THE  MINOR   CANON.          37 

Jhe  highest  office  of  the  old  church,  and  before  he  died, 
he  became  a  bishop. 

During  the  first  years  after  his  return  from  the 
dreadful  wilds,  the  people  of  the  town  looked  up  to 
him  as  a  man  to  whom  they  were  bound  to  do  honor 
and  reverence;  but  they  often,  also,  looked  up  to  the 
sky  to  see  if  there  were  any  signs  of  the  Griffin  coining 
back.  However,  in  the  course  of  time,  they  learned 
to  honor  and  reverence  their  former  Minor  Canon 
without  the  fear  of  being  punished  if  they  did  not  do 
so. 

But  they  need  never  have  been  afraid  of  the  Griffin. 
The  autumnal  equinox  day  came  round,  and  the  mon 
ster  ate  nothing.  If  he  could  not  have  the  Minor 
Canon,  he  did  not  care  for  any  thing.  So,  lying  down, 
with  his  eyes  fixed  upon  the  great  stone  griffin,  he 
gradually  declined,  and  died.  It  was  a  good  thing  for 
some  of  the  people  of  the  town  that  they  did  not  know 
this. 

If  you  should  ever  visit  the  old  town,  you  would  still 
see  the  little  griffins  on  the  sides  of  the  church  ;  but 
the  great  stone  griffin  that  was  over  the  door  is  gone. 


OLD  PIPES  AND  THE  DRYAD. 


A  MOUNTAIN  brook  ran  through  a  little  village. 
Over  the  brook  there  was  a  narrow  bridge,  and 
from  the  bridge  a  foot-path  led  out  from  the  village 
and  up  the  hill-side,  to  the  cottage  of  Old  Pipes  and 
his  mother.  For  many,  many  years,  Old  Pipes  had 
been  employed  by  the  villagers  to  pipe  the  cattle  down 
from  the  hills.  Every  afternoon,  an  hour  before  sun 
set,  he  would  sit  on  a  rock  in  front  of  his  cottage  and 
play  on  his  pipes.  Then  all  the  flocks  and  herds  that 
were  grazing  on  the  mountains  would  hear  him,  where- 
ever  they  might  happen  to  be,  and  would  come  down 
to  the  village  —  the  cows  by  the  easiest  paths,  the 
sheep  by  those  not  quite  so  easy,  and  the  goats  by 
the  steep  and  rocky  ways  that  were  hardest  of  all. 

But  now,  for  a  year  or  more,  Old  Pipes  had  not 
piped  the  cattle  home.  It  is  true  that  every  afternoon 
he  sat  upon  the  rock  and  played  upon  his  familiar 
instrument ;  but  the  cattle  did  not  hear  him.  He  had 
grown  old,  and  his  breath  was  feeble.  The  echoes  of 
his  cheerful  notes,  which  used  to  come  from  the  rocky 
hill  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley,  were  heard  no 
more ;  and  twenty  yards  from  Old  Pipes  one  could 
scarcely  tell  what  tune  he  was  playing.  He  had 
38 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD.  39 

become  somewhat  deaf,  and  did  not  know  that  the 
sound  of  his  pipes  was  so  thin  and  weak,  and  that 
the  cattle  did  not  hear  him.  The  cows,  the  sheep,  and 
the  goats  came  down  every  afternoon  as  before,  but 
this  was  because  two  boys  and  a  girl  were  sent  up  after 
them.  The  villagers  did  not  wish  the  good  old  man  to 
know  that  his  piping  was  no  longer  of  an}*  use,  so  they 
paid  him  his  little  salary  every  month,  and  said  nothing 
about  the  two  boys  and  the  girl. 

Old  Pipes's  mother  was,  of  course,  a  great  deal  older 
then  he  was,  and  was  as  deaf  as  a  gate, — posts,  latch, 
hinges,  and  all,  —  and  she  never  knew  that  the  sound 
of  her  son's  pipe  did  not  spread  over  all  the  mountain 
side,  and  echo  back  strong  and  clear  from  the  opposite 
hills.  She  was  very  fond  of  Old  Pipes,  and  proud  of 
his  piping ;  and  as  he  was  so  much  younger  than  she 
was,  she  never  thought  of  him  as  being  very  old.  She 
cooked  for  him,  and  made  his  bed,  and  mended  his 
clothes  ;  and  they  lived  very  comfortably  on  his  little 
salary. 

One  afternoon,  at  the  end  of  the  month,  when  Old 
Pipes  had  finished  his  piping,  he  took  his  stout  staff 
and  went  down  the  hill  to  the  village  to  receive  toe 
money  for  his  month's  work.  The  path  seemed  a  great 
deal  steeper  and  more  difficult  than  it  used  to  be  ;  and 
Cld  Pipes  thought  that  it  must  have  been  washed  by 
the  rains  and  greatly  damaged.  He  remembered  it  as 
n,  path  that  was  quite  easy  to  traverse  either  up  or 
down.  But  Old  Pipes  had  been  a  very  active  man, 
and  as  his  mother  was  so  much  older  than  he  was,  he 
never  thought  of  himself  as  aged  and  infirm. 


40  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

When  the  Chief  Villager  had  paid  him,  and  he  had 
talked  a  little  with  some  of  his  friends,  Old  Pipes 
started  to  go  home.  But  when  he  had  crossed  the 
bridge  over  the  brook,  and  gone  a  short  distance  up 
the  hill-side,  he  became  very  tired,  and  sat  down  upon 
a  stone.  He  had  not  been  sitting  there  half  a  minute, 
when  along  came  two  boys  and  a  girl. 

"  Children,"  said  Old  Pipes,  "I'm  very  tired  to 
night,  and  I  don't  believe  I  can  climb  up  this  steep 
path  to  my  home.  I  think  I  shall  have  to  ask  you  to 
help  me." 

"  We  will  do  that,"  said  the  boys  and  the  girl,  quite 
cheerfully ;  and  one  boy  took  him  by  the  right  hand, 
and  the  other  by  the  left,  while  the  girl  pushed  him  in 
the  back.  In  this  way  he  went  up  the  hill  quite  easily, 
and  soon  reached  his  cottage  door.  Old  Pipes  gave 
each  of  the  three  children  a  copper  coin,  and  then  they 
sat  down  for  a  few  minutes'  rest  before  starting  back 
to  the  village. 

"  I'm  sorry  that  I  tired  you  so  much,"  said  Old 
Pipes. 

"Oh,  that  would  not  have  tired  us,"  said  one  of  the 
boys,  "  if  we  had  not  been  so  far  to-day  after  the  cows, 
the  sheep,  and  the  goats.  They  rambled  high  up  on 
the  mountain,  and  we  never  before  had  such  a  time  in 
finding  them." 

"Had  to  go  after  the  cows,  the  sheep,  and  the 
goats!"  exclaimed  Old  Pipes.  "What  do  you  mean 
by  that?" 

The  girl,  who  stood  behind  the  old  man,  shook  her 
head,  put  her  hand  on  her  mouth,  and  made  all  sorts 


OLD   PIPES  AND    THE   DRYAD.  41 

of  signs  to  the  boy  to  stop  talking  on  this  subject ; 
but  he  did  not  notice  her,  and  promptly  answered  Old 
Pipes. 

"Why,  you  see,  good  sir,"  said  he,  "that  as  th* 
cattle  can't  hear  your  pipes  now,  somebody  has  to  go 
after  them  every  evening  to  drive  them  down  from  the 
mountain,  and  the  Chief  Villager  has  hired  us  three  to 
do  it.  Generally  it  is  not  very  hard  work,  but  to-night 
the  cattle  had  wandered  far." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  doing  this?"  asked  the 
old  man. 

The  girl  shook  her  head  and  clapped  her  hand  on 
her  mouth  more  vigorously  than  before,  but  the  boy 
went  on. 

"I  think  it  is  about  a  year  now,"  he  said,  "since 
the  people  first  felt  sure  that  the  cattle  could  not  hear 
your  pipes ;  and  from  that  time  we've  been  driving 
them  down.  But  we  are  rested  now,  and  will  go  home. 
Good-night,  sir." 

The  three  children  then  went  down  the  hill,  the  girl 
scolding  the  boy  all  the  way  home.  Old  Pipes  stood  si 
lent  a  few  moments,  and  then  he  went  into  his  cottage. 

"Mother,"  he  shouted;  "  did  you  hear  what  those 
children  said?" 

"  Children  !  "  exclaimed  the  old  woman  ;  "I  did  not 
hear  them.  I  did  not  know  there  were  any  children 
here." 

Then  Old  Pipes  told  his  mother,  shouting  very  loudly 
to  make  her  hear,  how  the  two  boys  and  the  girl  had 
helped  him  up  the  hill,  and  what  he  had  heard  about  his 
piping  and  the  cattle. 


42  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

"  They  can't  hear  you  ?  "  cried  his  mother.  "  Why 
what's  the  matter  with  the  cattle?  " 

44  Ah,  me!"  said  Old  Pipes;  "I  don't  believe 
there's  any  thing  the  matter  with  the  cattle.  It  must 
be  with  me  and  my  pipes  that  there  is  something  the 
matter.  But  one  thing  is  certain,  if  I  do  not  earn  fae 
wages  the  Chief  Villager  pays  me,  I  shall  not  take 
them.  I  shall  go  straight  down  to  the  village  and  give 
back  the  money  I  received  to-day." 

"  Nonsense  !  "  cried  his  mother.  "I'm  sure  you've 
piped  as  well  as  you  could,  and  no  more  can  be  ex 
pected.  And  what  are  we  to  do  without  the  money?  " 

11  I  don't  know,"  said  Old  Pipes;  "  but  I'm  going 
down  to  the  village  to  pay  it  back." 

The  sun  had  now  set ;  but  the  moon  was  shining 
very  brightly  on  the  hill-side,  and  Old  Pipes  could  see 
his  way  very  well.  He  did  not  take  the  same  path  by 
which  he  had  gone  before,  but  followed  another,  which 
led  among  the  trees  upon  the  hill-side,  and,  though 
longer,  was  not  so  steep. 

When  he  had  gone  about  half-way,  the  old  man  sat 
down  to  rest,  leaning  his  back  against  a  great  oak-tree. 
As  he  did  so,  he  heard  a  sound  like  knocking  insirla 
the  tree,  and  then  a  voice  distinctly  said : 

"  Let  me  out !  let  me  out !  " 

"  Old  Pipes  instantly  forgot  that  he  was  tired,  and 
sprang  to  his  feet.  "This  must  be  a  Dryad-tree!" 
he  exclaimed.  "If  it  is,  I'll  let  her  out." 

Old  Pipes  had  never,  to  his  knowledge,  seen  a 
Dryad-tree,  but  he  knew  there  were  such  trees  on  the 
hill-sides  and  the  mountains,  and  that  Dryads  lived  io 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE   DRYAD.  43 

them.  He  knew,  too,  that  in  the  summer-time ,  on 
those  days  when  the  moon  rose  before  the  sun  went 
down,  a  Dryad  could  come  out  of  her  tree  if  any  one 
could  find  the  key  which  locked  her  in,  and  turn  it. 
Old  Pipes  closely  examined  the  trunk  of  the  tree, 
which  stood  in  the  full  moonlight.  "  If  I  see  that 
key,"  he  said,  "  I  shall  surely  turn  it."  Before  long 
he  perceived  a  piece  of  bark  standing  out  from  the 
tree,  which  appeared  to  him  very  much  like  the  handle 
of  a  key.  He  took  hold  of  it,  and  found  he  could 
turn  it  quite  around.  As  he  did  so,  a  large  part  of 
the  side  of  the  tree  was  pushed  open,  and  a  beautiful 
Dryad  stepped  quickly  out. 

For  a  moment  she  stood  motionless,  gazing  on  the 
scene  before  her,  —  the  tranquil  valley,  the  hills,  the 
forest,  and  the  mountain -side,  a'A  ly'n^  in  the  ooft 
clear  light  of  the  moon.  "Oh,  lovely  !  lovely  !  "  .he 
exclaimed.  "How  long  it  is  since  I  have  seen  any 
thing  like  this  !  "  And  then,  turning  to  Old  Pipes, 
she  said  :  "  How  good  of  you  to  let  me  out !  I  am  so 
happy  and  so  thankful,  that  I  must  kiss  you,  you  dear 
old  man  !  "  And  she  threw  her  arms  around  the  neck 
of  Old  Pipes,  and  kissed  him  on  both  cheeks.  "  You 
don't  know,"  she  then  went  on  to  say,  "how  doleful 
it  is  to  be  shut  up  so  long  in  a  tree.  I  don't  mind  it 
in  the  winter,  for  then  I  am  glad  to  be  sheltered,  but  in 
summer  it  is  a  rueful  thing  not  to  be  able  to  see  all  the 
beauties  of  the  world.  And  it's  ever  so  long  since 
I've  been  let  out.  People  so  seldom  come  this  way ; 
an  1  when  they  do  come  at  the  right  time  they  cither 
don't  hear  me,  or  they  are  frightened,  and  run  away. 


44  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

But  you,  you  dear  old  man,  you  were  not  frightened 
and  you  looked  and  looked  for  the  key,  and  you  let 
me  out,  and  now  I  shall  not  have  to  go  back  till  winter 
has  come,  and  the  air  grows  cold.  Oh,  it  is  glorious  ! 
What  can  I  do  for  you,  to  show  you  how  grateful  I 
am?" 

"  I  am  very  glad,"  said  Old  Pipes,  "  that  I  let  you 
out,  since  I  see  that  it  makes  you  so  happy ;  but  J 
must  admit  that  I  tried  to  find  the  key  because  I  had  a 
great  desire  to  see  a  Dryad.  But  if  you  wish  to  do 
something  for  me,  you  can,  if  you  happen  to  be  going 
down  toward  the  village." 

"To  the  village !"  exclaimed  the  Dryad.  "Twill 
go  anywhere  for  you,  my  kind  old  benefactor." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Old  Pipes,  "  I  wish  you  would 
take  this  little  bag  of  money  to  the  Chief  Villager  and 
tell  him  that  Old  Pipes  cannot  receive  pay  for  the  ser 
vices  which  he  does  not  perform.  It  is  now  more  than 
a  year  that  I  have  not  been  able  to  make  the  cattle 
hear  me,  when  I  piped  to  call  them  home.  I  did  not 
know  this  until  to-night ;  but  now  that  I  know  it,  I  can 
not  keep  the  money,  and  so  I  send  it  back."  And, 
handing  the  little  bag  to  the  Dryad,  he  bade  her  good 
night,  and  turned  toward  his  cottage. 

"Good-night,"  said  the  Dryad.  "And  I  thank 
you  over,  and  over,  and  over  again,  you  good  old 
man!" 

Old  Pipes  walked  toward  his  home,  very  glad  to  be 
saved  the  fatigue  of  going  all  the  way  down  to  the  vil 
lage  and  back  again.  "  To  be  sure,"  he  said  to  him 
self,  "  this  path  does  not  seem  at  all  steep,  and  I  can 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD.  45 

walk  along  it  very  easily ;  but  it  would  have  tired  mo 
dreadfully  to  come  up  all  the  way  from  the  village 
especially  as  I  could  not  have  expected  those  children 
to   help   me    again.'*      When    he   reached    home,    his 
mother  was  surprised  to  see  him  returning  so  soon. 

"•  What !  "  she  exclaimed  ;  4k  have  you  already  come 
back?  What  did  the  Chief  Villager  say?  Did  he 
take  the  money?  " 

Old  Pipes  was  just  about  to  tell  her  that  he  had  sent 
the  money  to  the  village  by  a  Dryad,  when  he  suddenly 
reflected  that  his  mother  would  be  sure  to  disapprove 
such  a  proceeding,  and  so  he  merely  said  he  had  sent 
it  by  a  person  whom  he  had  met. 

"  And  how  do  you  know  that  the  person  will  ever 
take  it  to  the  Chief  Villager  ? ' '  cried  his  mother. 
'k  You  will  lose  it,  and  the  villagers  will  never  get  it. 
Oh,  Pipes !  Pipes !  when  will  you  be  old  enough  to 
have  ordinary  common  sense  ?  ' ' 

Old  Pipes  considered  that  as  he  was  already  seventy 
years  of  age  he  could  scarcely  expect  to  grow  any 
wiser,  but  he  made  no  remark  on  this  subject ;  and, 
saying  that  he  doubted  not  that  the  money  would  go 
safely  to  its  destination,  he  sat  down  to  his  supper. 
His  mother  scolded  him  roundly,  but  he  did  not  mind 
it ;  and  after  supper  he  went  out  and  sat  on  a  rustic  chair 
in  front  of  the  cottage  to  look  at  the  moonlit  village, 
and  to  wonder  whether  or  not  the  Chief  Villager  really 
received  the  money.  While  he  was  doing  these  two 
things,  he  went  fast  asleep. 

When  Old  Pipes  left  the  Dryad,  she  did  not  go 
down  to  the  village  with  the  little  bag  of  money.  She 


46  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE   DRYAD. 

neld  it  in  her  hand,  and  thought  about  what  she  had 
heard.  "  This  is  a  good  and  honest  old  man/'  she  said  ; 
u  and  it  is  a  shame  that  he  should  lose  this  money. 
He  looked  as  if  he  needed  it.  and  I  don't  believe  the 
people  in  the  village  will  take  it  from  one  who  has 
served  them  so  long.  Often,  when  in  my  tree,  have  I 
heard  the  sweet  notes  of  his  pipes.  I  am  going  to 
take  the  money  back  to  him."  She  did  not  start 
immediately,  because  there  were  so  many  beautiful 
things  to  look  at ;  but  after  a  while  she  went  up  to  the 
cottage,  and,  finding  Old  Pipes  asleep  in  his  chair,  she 
slipped  the  little  bag  into  his  coat-pocket,  and  silently 
sped  away. 

The  next  day,  Old  Pipes  told  his  mother  that  he 
would  go  up  the  mountain  and  cut  some  wood.  He 
had  a  right  to  get  wood  from  the  mountain,  but  for  a 
long  time  he  had  been  content  to  pick  up  the  dead 
branches  which  lay  about  his  cottage.  To-day,  how 
ever,  he  felt  so  strong  and  vigorous  that  he  thought  he 
would  go  and  cut  some  fuel  that  would  be  better  than 
this.  He  worked  all  the  morning,  and  when  he  came 
back  he  did  not  feel  at  all  tired,  and  he  had  a  very 
good  appetite  for  his  dinner. 

Now,  Old  Pipes  knew  a  good  deal  about  Dryads, 
but  there  was  one  thing  which,  although  he  had  heard, 
he  had  forgotten.  This  was,  that  a  kiss  from  a  Dryad 
made  a  person  ten  years  younger.  The  people  of  the 
village  knew  this,  and  they  were  very  careful  not  to  let 
any  child  of  ten  years  or  younger,  go  into  the  woods 
where  the  Dryads  were  supposed  to  be ;  for,  if  they 
should  chance  to  be  kissed  by  one  of  these  tree- 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD.  47 

nymphs,  they  would  be  set  back  so  far  that  they  would 
cease  to  exist.  A  story  was  told  in  the  village  that  a 
very  bad  boy  of  eleven  once  ran  away  into  the  woods, 
and  had  an  adventure  of  this  kind ;  and  when  his 
mother  found  him  he  was  a  little  baby  of  one  year  old. 
Taking  advantage  of  her  opportunity,  she  brought  him 
up  more  carefully  than  she  had  done  before ;  and  he 
grew  to  be  a  very  good  boy  indeed. 

Now,  Old  Pipes  had  been  kissed  twice  by  the  Dryad, 
once  on  each  cheek,  and  he  therefore  felt  as  vigorous 
and  active  as  when  he  was  a  hale  man  of  fifty.  His 
mother  noticed  how  much  work  he  was  doing,  and  told 
him  that  he  need  not  try  in  that  way  to  make  up  for  the 
loss  of  his  piping  wages ;  for  he  would  ouly  tire  him 
self  out,  and  get  sick.  But  her  son  answered  that  he 
had  not  felt  so  well  for  years,  and  that  he  was  quite 
able  to  work.  In  the  course  of  the  afternoon,  Old 
Pipes,  for  the  first  time  that  day,  put  his  hand  in  his 
coat- pocket,  and  there,  to  his  amazement,  he  found 
the  little  bag  of  money.  "Well,  well!"  he  ex 
claimed,  "  I  am  stupid,  indeed  !  I  really  thought  that 
I  had  seen  a  Dryad ;  but  when  I  sat  down  by  that  big 
oak-tree  I  must  have  gone  to  sleep  and  dreamed  it  all ; 
and  then  I  came  home  thinking  I  had  given  the  money 
to  a  Dryad,  when  it  was  in  my  pocket  all  the  time. 
But  the  Chief  Villager  shall  have  the  money.  I  shall 
not  take  it  to  him  to-day,  but  to-morrow  I  wisli  to  go 
to  the  village  to  see  some  of  my  old  friends  ;  and  then 
I  shall  give  up  the  money." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  Old  Pipes,  us 
had  been  his  custom  for  so  many  years,  took  his  pipea 


48  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

from  the  shelf  on  which  they  lay,  and  went  out  to  the 
rock  in  front  of  the  cottage. 

44  What  are  you  going  to  do?"  cried  his  mother. 
"  If  you  will  not  consent  to  be  paid,  why  do  you 
pipe?" 

44 1  am  going  to  pipe  for  my  own  pleasure,"  said  her 
sou.  k4 1  am  used  to  it,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  give  it 
up.  It  does  not  matter  now  whether  the  cattle  hear 
me  or  not,  and  I  am  sure  that  my  piping  will  injure  no 
one." 

When  the  good  man  began  to  play  upon  his  favorite 
instrument  he  was  astonished  at  the  sound  that  came 
from  it.  The  beautiful  notes  of  the  pipes  sounded 
clear  and  strong  down  into  the  valley,  and  spread  over 
the  hills,  and  up  the  sides  of  the  mountain  beyond, 
while,  after  a  little  interval,  an  echo  came  back  from 
the  rocky  hill  on  the  other  side  of  the  valley. 

44  Ha!  ha!"  he  cried,  "what  has  happened  to  my 
pipes?  They  must  have  been  stopped  up  of  late,  but 
now  they  are  as  clear  and  good  as  ever." 

Again  the  merry  notes  went  sounding  far  and  wide. 
The  cattle  on  the  mountain  heard  them,  and  those  that 
were  old  enough  remembered  how  these  notes  had 
called  them  from  their  pastures  every  evening,  and  so 
they  started  down  the  mountain-side,  the  others  fol 
lowing. 

The  merry  notes  were  heard  in  the  village  below, 
and  the  people  were  much  astonished  thereby.  "  Why, 
who  can  be  blowing  the  pipes  of  Old  Pipes? "they 
said.  But,  as  they  were  all  very  busy,  no  one  went  up 
to  see.  One  thing,  however,  was  plain  enough:  the 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD.  49 

cattle  were  coming  down  the  mountain.  And  so  the 
two  boys  and  the  girl  did  not  have  to  go  after  them, 
and  had  an  hour  for  play,  for  which  they  were  very 
glad. 

The  next  morning  Old  Pipes  started  down  to  the 
village  with  his  money,  and  on  the  way  he  met  the 
Dryad.  "  Oh,  ho  !  "  he  cried,  "  is  that  you?  Why,  I 
thought  my  letting  you  out  of  the  tree  was  nothing  but 
a  dream." 

"  A  dream  !  "  cried  the  Dryad  ;  "if  you  only  knew 
how  happy  you  have  made  me,  you  would  not  think 
it  merely  a  dream.  And  has  it  not  benefited  you? 
Do  you  not  feel  happier?  Yesterday  I  heard  you 
playing  beautifully  on  your  pipes.'* 

"Yes,  yes,"  cried  he.  "I  did  not  understand  it 
before,  but  I  see  it  all  now.  I  have  really  grown 
younger.  I  thank  you,  I  thank  you,  good  Dryad, 
from  the  bottom  of  my  heart.  It  was  the  finding  of 
the  money  in  my  pocket  that  made  me  think  it  was  a 
dream." 

"  Oh,  I  put  it  in  when  you  were  asleep,"  she  said, 
laughing,  "because  I  thought  you  ought  to  keep  it. 
Good-by,  kind,  honest  man.  May  you  live  long,  and 
be  as  happy  as  I  am  now." 

Old  Pipes  was  greatly  delighted  when  he  understood 
that  he  was  really  a  younger  man ;  but  that  made  no 
difference  about  the  money,  and  he  kept  on  his  way  to 
the  village.  As  soon  as  he  reached  it,  he  was  eagerly 
questioned  as  to  who  had  been  playing  his  pipes  the 
evening  before,  and  when  the  people  heard  that  it  was 
himself,  they  were  very  much  surprised.  Thereupon, 


50  OLD  PIPE8  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

Old  Pipes  told  what  had  happened  to  him,  and  then 
there  was  greater  wonder,  with  hearty  congratulations 
and  hand-shakes ;  for  Old  Pipes  was  liked  by  every 
one.  The  Chief  Villager  refused  to  take  his  money, 
and,  although  Old  Pipes  said  that  he  had  not  earned  it, 
every  one  present  insisted  that,  as  he  would  now  piay 
on  his  pipes  as  before,  he  should  lose  nothing,  because, 
for  a  time,  he  was  unable  to  perform  his  duty. 

So  Old  Pipes  was  obliged  to  keep  his  money,  and 
after  an  hour  or  two  spent  in  conversation  with  his 
friends,  he  returned  to  his  cottage. 

There  was  one  individual,  however,  who  was  not  at 
all  pleased  with  what  had  happened  to  Old  Pipes. 
This  was  an  Echo-dwarf,  who  lived  on  the  hills  on  the 
other  side  of  the  valley,  and  whose  duty  it  was  to  echo 
back  the  notes  of  the  pipes  whenever  they  could  be 
heard.  There  were  a  great  many  other  Echo-dwarfs 
on  these  hills,  some  of  whom  echoed  back  the  songs 
of  maidens,  some  the  shouts  of  children,  and  others 
the  music  that  was  often  heard  in  the  village.  But 
there  was  only  one  who  could  send  back  the  strong 
notes  of  the  pipes  of  Old  Pipes,  and  this  had  been  his 
sole  duty  for  many  years.  But  when  the  old  man 
grew  feeble,  and  the  notes  of  his  pipes  could  not  be 
heard  on  the  opposite  hills,  this  Echo-dwarf  had  noth 
ing  to  do,  and  he  spent  his  time  in  delightful  idleness ; 
and  he  slept  so  much  and  grew  so  fat  that  it  made  his 
companions  laugh  to  see  him  walk. 

On  the  afternoon  on  which,  after  so  long  an  interval, 
the  sound  of  the  pipes  was  heard  on  the  echo  hills, 
this  dwarf  was  fast  asleep  behind  a  rock.  As  soon  as 


OLD  PIPES  AND  THE  DRYAD.  51 

the  first  notes  reached  them,  some  of  his  companions 
ran  to  wake  him.  Rolling  to  his  feet,  he  echoed  back 
the  merry  tune  of  Old  Pipes.  Naturally,  he  wus  very 
much  annoyed  and  indignant  at  being  thus  obliged  to 
give  up  his  life  of  comfortable  leisure,  and  he  hoped 
very  much  that  this  pipe-playing  would  not  occur  again. 
The  next  afternoon  he  was  awake  and  listening,  and, 
sure  enough,  at  the  usual  hour,  along  came  the  notes 
of  the  pipes  as  clear  and  strong  as  they  ever  had  been  ; 
and  he  was  obliged  to  work  as  long  as  Old  Pipes 
played.  The  Echo-dwarf  was  very  angry.  He  had 
supposed,  of  course,  that  the  pipe-playing  had  ceased 
forever,  and  he  felt  that  he  had  a  right  to  be  indignant 
at  being  thus  deceived.  He  was  so  much  disturbed 
that  he  made  up  his  mind  to  go  and  try  to  find  out 
whether  this  was  to  be  a  temporary  matter  or  not. 
He  had  plenty  of  time,  as  the  pipes  were  played  but 
once  a  day,  and  he  set  off  early  in  the  morning  for 
the  hill  on  which  Old  Pipes  lived.  It  was  hard  work 
for  the  fat  little  fellow,  and  when  he  had  crossed  the 
valley  and  had  gone  some  distance  into  the  woods  on 
the  hill-side,  he  stopped  to  rest,  and,  in  a  few  minutes, 
the  Dryad  came  tripping  along. 

41  Ho,  ho!"  exclaimed  the  dwarf;  "what  are  you 
doing  here?  and  how  did  you  get  out  of  your 
tree?" 

44  Doing  !  "  cried  the  Dryad  ;  "I  am  being  happy  ; 
that's  what  I  am  doing.  And  I  was  let  out  of  my 
tree  by  the  good  old  man  who  plays  the  pipes  to  call 
the  cattle  down  from  the  mountain.  And  it  makes  me 
happier  to  think  that  I  have  been  of  service  to  him. 


52  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

I  gave  him  two  kisses  of  gratitude,  and  now  he 
is  young  enough  to  play  his  pipes  as  well  as 
ever." 

The  Echo-dwarf  stepped  forward,  his  face  pale  with 
passion.  "  Am  I  to  believe,"  he  said,  "  that  you  are 
the  cause  of  this  great  evil  that  has  come  upon  me? 
arid  that  you  are  the  wicked  creature  who  has  again 
started  this  old  man  upon  his  career  of  pipe-playing? 
What  have  I  ever  done  to  you  that  you  should  have 
condemned  me  for  years  and  years  to  echo  back  the 
notes  of  those  wretched  pipes  ?  ' ' 

At  this  the  Dryad  laughed  loudly. 

"What  a  funny  little  fellow  you  are!  "  she  said. 
41  Any  one  would  think  you  had  been  condemned  to 
toil  from  morning  till  night;  while  what  you  really 
have  to  do  is  merely  to  imitate  for  half  an  hour  every 
day  the  merry  notes  of  Old  Pipes's  piping.  Fie  upon 
you,  Echo-dwarf !  You  are  lazy  and  selfish  ;  and  that 
is  what  is  the  matter  with  you.  Instead  of  grumbling 
at  being  obliged  to  do  a  little  wholesome  work,  which 
is  less,  I  am  sure,  than  that  of  any  other  echo-dwarf 
upon  the  rocky  hill-side,  you  should  rejoice  at  the 
good  fortune  of  the  old  man  who  has  regained  so  much 
of  his  strength  and  vigor.  Go  home  and  learn  to 
be  just  and  generous ;  and  then,  perhaps,  you  may  be 
happy.  Good-by." 

"Insolent  creature!"  shouted  the  dwarf,  as  he 
ahook  his  fat  little  fist  at  her.  "  I'll  make  you  suffer 
for  this.  You  shall  find  out  what  it  is  to  heap  injury 
and  insult  upon  one  like  me,  and  to  snatch  from  him 
the  repose  that  he  has  earned  by  long  years  of  toil.*' 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD.  53 

And,  shaking  his  head  savagely,  he  hurried  back  to 
the  rocky  hill-side. 

Every  afternoon  the  merry  notes  of  the  pipes  of 
Old  Pipes  sounded  down  into  the  valley  and  over  the 
hills  and  up  the  mountain-side ;  and  every  afternoon 
when  he  had  echoed  them  back,  the  little  dwarf  grew 
more  and  more  angry  with  the  Dryad.  Each  day, 
from  early  morning  till  it  was  time  for  him  to  go  back 
to  his  duties  upon  the  rocky  hill-side,  he  searched  the 
woods  for  her.  He  intended,  if  he  met  her,  to  pre 
tend  to  be  very  sorry  for  what  he  had  said,  and  he 
thought  he  might  be  able  to  play  a  trick  upon  her 
which  would  avenge  him  well.  One  day,  while  thus 
wandering  among  the  trees,  he  met  Old  Pipes.  The 
Echo-dwarf  did  not  generally  care  to  see  or  speak  to 
ordinary  people ;  but  now  he  was  so  anxious  to  find 
the  object  of  his  search,  that  he  stopped  and  asked 
Old  Pipes  if  he  had  seen  the  Dryad.  The  piper  had 
not  noticed  the  little  fellow,  and  he  looked  down  on 
him  with  some  surprise. 

"  No,"  he  said ;  "  I  have  not  seen  her,  and  I  have 
been  looking  everywhere  for  her." 

"  You  !  "  cried  the  dwarf,  "  what  do  you  wish  with 
her?" 

Old  Pipes  then  sat  down  on  a  stone,  so  that  he 
should  be  nearer  the  ear  of  his  small  companion,  and 
he  told  what  the  Dryad  had  done  for  him. 

When  the  Echo-dwarf  heard  that  this  was  the  man 
whose  pipes  he  was  obliged  to  echo  back  every  day, 
he  would  have  slain  him  on  the  spot  had  he  been  able ; 
but,  as  he  was  not  able,  he  merely  ground  his  teeth 
and  listened  to  the  rest  of  the  story. 


54  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

"  I  am  looking  for  the  Dryad  now,"  Old  Pipes  con 
tinued,  u  on  account  of  my  aged  mother.  When  I 
was  old  myself,  I  did  not  notice  how  very  old  my 
mother  was ;  but  now  it  shocks  me  to  see  how  feeble 
and  decrepit  her  years  have  caused  her  to  become ; 
and  I  am  looking  for  the  Dryad  to  ask  her  to  make 
my  mother  younger,  as  she  made  me." 

The  eyes  of  the  Echo-dwarf  glistened.  Here  was 
a  man  who  might  help  him  in  his  plans. 

4 'Your  idea  is  a  good  one,"  he  said  to  Old  Pipes, 
* '  and  it  does  you  honor.  But  you  should  know  that  a 
Dryad  can  make  no  person  younger  but  one  who  lets 
her  out  of  her  tree.  However,  you  can  manage  the 
affair  very  easily.  All  you  need  do  is  to  find  the 
Dryad,  tell  her  what  you  want,  and  request  her  to 
step  into  her  tree  and  be  shut  up  for  a  short  time. 
Then  you  will  go  and  bring  your  mother  to  the  tree  ; 
she  will  open  it,  and  every  thing  will  be  as  you  wish. 
Is  not  this  a  good  plan?  " 

4 '  Excellent !"  cried  Old  Pipes;  u  and  I  will  go 
instantly  and  search  more  diligently  for  the  Dryad." 

"  Take  me  with  you,"  said  the  Echo-dwarf.  "  You 
can  easily  carry  me  on  your  strong  shoulders ;  and  I 
shall  be  glad  to  help  you  in  any  way  that  I  can." 

4 'Now,  then,"  said  the  little  fellow  to  himself,  as 
Old  Pipes  carried  him  rapidly  along,  "if  he  persuades 
the  Dryad  to  get  into  a  tree,  —  and  she  is  quite  foolish 
enough  to  do  it,  —  and  then  goes  away  to  bring  his 
mother,  I  shall  take  a  stone  or  a  club  and  I  will  break 
off  the  key  of  that  tree,  so  that  nobody  can  ever  turn 
it  again.  Then  Mistress  Dryad  will  see  what  she  has 
brought  upon  herself  by  her  behavior  to  me." 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD.  55 

Before  long  they  came  to  the  great  oak-tree  in 
which  the  Dryad  had  lived,  and,  at  a  distance,  they 
saw  that  beautiful  creature  herself  coming  toward 
them. 

"  How  excellently  well  every  thing  happens  !  "  said 
the  dwarf.  "Put  me  down,  and  I  will  go.  Your 
business  with  the  Dryad  is  more  important  than  mine  ; 
and  you  need  not  say  any  thing  about  my  having 
suggested  your  plan  to  you.  I  am  willing  that  you 
should  have  all  the  credit  of  it  yourself. 

Old  Pipes  put  the  Echo-dwarf  upon  the  ground,  but 
the  little  rogue  did  not  go  away.  He  concealed  him 
self  between  some  low,  mossy  rocks,  and  he  was  so 
much  of  their  color  that  you  would  not  have  noticed 
him  if  you  had  been  looking  straight  at  him. 

When  the  Dryad  came  up,  Old  Pipes  lost  no  time 
in  telling  her  about  his  mother,  and  what  he  wished 
her  to  do.  At  first,  the  Dryad  answered  nothing,  but 
stood  looking  very  sadly  at  Old  Pipes. 

44  Do  you  really  wish  me  to  go  into  my  tree  again  ?  " 
she  said.  "  I  should  dreadfully  dislike  to  do  it,  for  I 
don't  know  what  might  happen.  It  is  not  at  all  neces 
sary,  for  I  could  make  your  mother  younger  at  any 
time  if  she  would  give  me  the  opportunity.  I  had 
already  thought  of  making  you  still  happier  in  this 
way,  and  several  times  I  have  waited  about  your 
cottage,  hoping  to  meet  your  aged  mother,  but  she 
never  comes  outside,  and  you  know  a  Dryad  cannot 
enter  a  house.  I  cannot  imagine  what  put  this  idea 
into  your  head.  Did  you  think  of  it  yourself?  " 

u  No,    I   cannot   say   that   I   did,"    answered    Old 


56  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

Pipes.  *'  A  little  dwarf  whom  I  met  in  the  woodb 
proposed  it  to  me." 

"Oh!"  cried  the  Dryad;  "now  I  see  through  it 
all.  It  is  the  scheme  of  that  vile  Echo-dwarf  —  your 
enemy  and  mine.  Where  is  he?  I  should  like  to  see 
him." 

"  I  thiuk  he  has  gone  away,"  said  Old  Pipes. 

"  No  he  has  not,"  said  the  Dryad,  whose  quick  eyes 
perceived  the  Echo-dwarf  among  the  rocks.  "  There 
he  is.  Seize  him  and  drag  him  out,  I  beg  of  you." 

Old  Pipes  perceived  the  dwarf  as  soon  as  he  was 
pointed  out  to  him,  and,  running  to  the  rocks,  he 
caught  the  little  fellow  by  the  arm  and  pulled  him 
out. 

"  Now,  then,"  cried  the  Dryad,  who  had  opened  the 
door  of  the  great  oak,  "  just  stick  him  in  there,  and 
we  will  shut  him  up.  Then  I  shall  be  safe  from 
his  mischief  for  the  rest  of  the  time  I  am  free." 

Old  Pipes  thrust  the  Echo-dwarf  into  the  tree ;  the 
Dryad  pushed  the  door  shut ;  there  was  a  clicking 
sound  of  bark  and  wood,  and  no  one  would  have 
noticed  that  the  big  oak  had  ever  had  an  opening 
in  it. 

"There,"  said  the  Dryad ;  "now  we  need  not  be 
afraid  of  him.  And  I  assure  you,  my  good  piper, 
that  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  make  your  mother  younger 
as  soon  as  I  can.  Will  you  not  ask  her  to  come  out 
and  meet  me  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  will,"  cried  Old  Pipes;  "  and  I  will 
do  it  without  delay." 

And  then,  the  Dryad  by  his  side,  he  hurried  to  his 


OLD  PIPES  AND    THE   DRYAD.  57 

cottage.  But  when  he  mentioned  the  matter  to  his 
mother,  the  old  woman  became  very  angry  indeed. 
She  did  not  believe  in  Dryads ;  and,  if  they  really  did 
exist,  she  knew  they  must  be  witches  and  sorceresses, 
and  she  would  have  nothing  to  do  with  them.  If  her 
son  had  ever  allowed  himself  to  be  kissed  by  one  of 
them,  he  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  himself.  As  to  its 
doing  him  the  least  bit  of  good,  she  did  not  believe  a 
word  of  it.  He  felt  better  than  he  used  to  feel,  bu^ 
that  was  very  common.  She  had  sometimes  felt  that 
way  herself,  and  she  forbade  him  ever  to  mention  a 
Dryad  to  her  again. 

That  afternoon,  Old  Pipes,  feeling  very  sad  that  his 
plan  in  regard  to  his  mother  had  failed,  sat  down  upon 
the  rock  and  played  upon  his  pipes.  The  pleasant 
sounds  went  down  the  valley  and  up  the  hills  and 
mountain,  but,  to  the  great  surprise  of  some  persons 
who  happened  to  notice  the  fact,  the  notes  were  not 
echoed  back  from  the  rocky  hill-side,  but  from  the 
woods  on  the  side  of  the  valley  on  which  Old  Pipes 
lived.  The  next  day  many  of  the  villagers  stopped  in 
their  work  to  listen  to  the  echo  of  the  pipes  coming 
from  the  woods.  The  sound  was  not  as  clear  and 
strong  as  it  used  to  be  when  it  was  sent  back  from  the 
rocky  hill-side,  but  it  certainly  came  from  among  the 
trees.  Such  a  thing  as  an  echo  changing  its  place  in 
this  way  had  never  been  heard  of  before,  and  nobody 
was  able  to  explain  how  it  could  have  happened.  Old 
Pipes,  however,  knew  very  well  that  the  sound  came 
from  the  Echo-dwarf  shut  up  in  the  great  oak-tree 
The  sides  of  the  tree  were  thin,  and  the  sound  of  too 


58  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

pipes  could  be  heard  through  them,  and  the  dwarf  was 
obliged  by  the  laws  of  his  being  to  echo  back  those 
notes  whenever  they  came  to  him.  But  Old  Pipes 
thought  he  might  get  the  Dryad  in  trouble  if  he  let  any 
one  know  that  the  Echo-dwarf  was  shut  up  in  the  tree, 
and  so  he  wisely  said  nothing  about  it. 

One  day  the  two  boys  and  the  girl  who  had  helped 
Old  Pipes  up  the  hill  were  playing  in  the  woods.  Stop 
ping  near  the  great  oak-tree,  they  heard  a  sound  of 
knocking  within  it,  and  then  a  voice  plainly  said : 

44  Let  me  out !  let  me  out !  " 

For  a  moment  the  children  stood  still  in  astonish 
ment,  and  then  one  of  the  boys  exclaimed : 

"  Oh,  it  is  a  Dryad,  like  the  one  Old  Pipes  found ! 
Let's  let  her  out !" 

44  What  are  you  thinking  of  ?  "  cried  the  girl.  u  I 
am  the  oldest  of  all,  and  I  am  only  thirteen.  Do  you 
wish  to  be  turned  into  crawling  babies  ?  Run !  run ! 
run!" 

And  the  two  boys  and  the  girl  dashed  down  into  the 
valley  as  fast  as  their  legs  could  carry  them.  There 
was  no  desire  in  their  }Touthful  hearts  to  be  made 
younger  than  they  were.  And  for  fear  that  their  par 
ents  might  think  it  well  that  they  should  commence 
their  careers  anew,  they  never  said  a  word  about 
finding  the  Dryad-tree. 

As  the  summer  days  went  on,  Old  Pipes 's  mother 
grew  feebler  and  feebler.  One  day  when  her  son  was 
away,  for  he  now  frequently  went  into  the  woods  to 
hunt  or  fish,  or  down  into  the  valley  to  work,  she  arose 
from  her  knitting  to  prepare  the  simple  dinner.  But 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD.  59 

she  felt  so  weak  and  tired  that  she  was  not  able  to 
do  the  work  to  which  she  had  been  so  long  accustomed. 
"  Alas  I  alas  !  "  she  said,  "  the  time  has  come  when  I 
am  too  old  to  work.  My  son  will  have  to  hire  some 
one  to  come  here  and  cook  his  meals,  make  his  bed, 
and  mend  his  clothes.  Alas  !  alas !  I  had  hoped  that 
as  long  as  I  lived  I  should  be  able  to  do  these  things. 
But  it  is  not  so.  I  have  grown  utterly  worthless,  and 
some  one  else  must  prepare  the  dinner  for  my  son.  I 
wonder  where  he  is."  And  tottering  to  the  door,  she 
went  outside  to  look  for  him.  She  did  not  feel  able  to 
stand,  and  reaching  the  rustic  chair,  she  sank  into  it, 
quite  exhausted,  and  soon  fell  asleep. 

The  Dryad,  who  had  often  come  to  the  cottage  to 
see  if  she  could  find  an  opportunity  of  carrying  out  old 
Pipes's  affectionate  design,  now  happened  by ;  and 
seeing  that  the  much-desired  occasion  had  come,  she 
stepped  up  quietly  behind  the  old  woman  and  gently 
kissed  her  on  each  cheek,  and  then  as  quietly  dis 
appeared. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  mother  of  old  Pipes  awoke,  and 
looking  up  at  the  sun,  she  exclaimed  :  "  Why,  it  is 
almost  dinner-time !  My  son  will  be  here  directly,  and 
I  am  not  ready  for  him."  And  rising  to  her  feet,  she 
hurried  into  the  house,  made  the  fire,  set  the  meat  and 
vegetables  to  cook,  laid  the  cloth,  and  by  the  time  her 
eon  arrived  the  meal  was  on  the  table. 

"How  a  little  sleep  does  refresh  one,"  she  said  to 
herself,  as  she  was  bustling  about.  She  was  a  woman 
of  very  vigorous  constitution,  and  at  seventy  had  been 
a  great  deal  stronger  and  more  active  than  her  son  was 


60  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

at  that  age.  The  moment  Old  Pipes  saw  his  mother 
he  knew  that  the  Dryad  had  been  there ;  but,  while  he 
felt  as  happy  as  a  king,  he  was  too  wise  to  say  any 
thing  about  her. 

"It  is  astonishing  how  well  I  feel  to-day,"  said  his 
mother  ;  "  and  either  my  hearing  has  improved  or  yon 
speak  much  more  plainly  than  you  have  done  of  late." 

The  summer  days  went  on  and  passed  away,  the 
leaves  were  falling  from  the  trees,  and  the  air  was 
becoming  cold. 

"  Nature  has  ceased  to  be  lovely,"  said  the  Dryad, 
"  and  the  night- winds  chill  me.  It  is  time  for  me  to  go 
back  into  my  comfortable  quarters  in  the  great  oak. 
But  first  I  must  pay  another  visit  to  the  cottage  of  old 
Pipes." 

She  found  the  piper  and  his  mother  sitting  side  by 
side  on  the  rock  in  front  of  the  door.  The  cattle  were 
not  to  go  to  the  mountain  any  more  that  season,  and 
he  was  piping  them  down  for  the  last  time.  Loud 
and  merrily  sounded  the  pipes  of  Old  Pipes,  and  down 
the  mountain-side  came  the  cattle,  the  cows  by  the 
easiest  paths,  the  sheep  by  those  not  quite  so  easy, 
and  the  goats  by  the  most  difficult  ones  among  the 
rocks ;  while  from  the  great  oak-tree  were  heard  the 
echoes  of  the  cheerful  music. 

"How  happy  they  look,  sitting  there  together," 
said  the  Dryad  ;  "  and  I  don't  believe  it  will  do  them 
a  bit  of  harm  to  be  still  younger."  And  moving 
quietly  up  behind  them,  she  first  kissed  Old  Pipes  on 
his  cheek  and  then  his  mother. 

Old  Pipes,  who  had  stopped  playing,  knew  what  it 


OLD  PIPES  AND   THE   DRTAD.  61 

was,  but  he  did  not  move,  and  said  nothing.  His 
mother,  thinking  that  her  son  had  kissed  her,  turned 
to  him  with  a  smile  and  kissed  him  in  return.  And 
then  she  arose  and  went  into  the  cottage,  a  vigorous 
woman  of  sixty,  followed  by  her  son,  erect  and  happy, 
and  twenty  years  younger  than  herself. 

The  Dryad  sped  away  to  the  woods,  shrugging  her 
shoulders  as  she  felt  the  cool  evening  wind. 

When  she  reached  the  great  oak,  she  turned  the  key 
and  opened  the  door.  "Come  out,"  she  said  to  the 
Echo-dwarf,  who  sat  blinking  within.  "  Winter  is 
coming  on,  and  I  want  the  comfortable  shelter  of  my 
tree  for  myself.  The  cattle  have  come  down  from  the 
mountain  for  the  last  time  this  year,  the  pipes  will  no 
longer  sound,  and  you  can  go  to  your  rocks  and  have 
a  holiday  until  next  spring." 

Upon  hearing  these  words  the  dwarf  skipped  quickly 
out,  and  the  Dryad  entered  the  tree  and  pulled  the 
door  shut  after  her.  "  Now,  then,"  she  said  to  her 
self,  "  he  can  break  off  the  key  if  he  likes.  It  does 
not  matter  to  me.  Another  will  grow  out  next  spring. 
And  although  the  good  piper  made  me  no  promise,  I 
know  that  when  the  warm  days  arrive  next  year,  he 
will  come  and  let  me  out  again." 

The  Echo-dwarf  did  not  stop  to  break  the  key  of  the 
tree.  He  was  too  happy  to  be  released  to  think  of  any 
thing  else,  and  he  hastened  as  fast  as  he  could  to  his 
home  on  the  rocky  hill-side. 

The  Dryad  was  not  mistaken  when  she  trusted  in 
the  piper.  When  the  warm  days  came  again  he  went 


62  OLD  PIPES  AND   THE  DRYAD. 

to  the  oak-tree  to  let  her  out.  But,  to  his  sorrow 
and  surprise,  he  found  the  great  tree  lying  upon  the 
ground.  A  winter  storm  had  blown  it  down,  and  it 
lay  with  its  trunk  shattered  and  split.  And  what 
became  of  the  Dryad,  no  one  ever  knew. 


THE  QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 


T  I  tHERE  was  once  a  Queen  who  founded,  in  her 
JL  capital  city,  a  grand  museum.  This  institution 
was  the  pride  of  her  heart,  and  she  devoted  nearly  all 
her  time  to  overseeing  the  collection  of  objects  for  it, 
and  their  arrangement  in  the  spacious  halls.  This 
museum  was  intended  to  elevate  the  intelligence  of  her 
people,  but  the  result  was  quite  disappointing  to  the 
Queen.  For  some  reason,  and  what  it  was  she  could 
not  imagine,  the  people  were  not  interested  in  her 
museum.  She  considered  it  the  most  delightful  place 
in  the  world,  and  spent  hours  every  day  in  examining 
and  studying  the  thousands  of  objects  it  contained; 
but  although  here  and  there  in  the  city  there  was  a 
person  who  cared  to  visit  the  collection,  the  great 
body  of  the  people  found  it  impossible  to  feel  the 
slightest  interest  in  it.  At  first  this  grieved  the  Queen, 
and  she  tried  to  make  her  museum  better ;  but  as  this 
did  no  good,  she  became  very  angry,  and  she  issued 
a  decree  that  all  persons  of  mature  age  who  were  not 
interested  in  her  museum  should  be  sent  to  prison. 

This  decree  produced  a  great  sensation  in  the  city. 
The  people  crowded  to  the  building,  and  did  their  very 

63 


64  TffE  QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

best  to  be  interested ;  but,  in  the  majority  of  cases, 
the  attempt  was  an  utter  failure.  They  could  not  feel 
any  interest  whatever.  The  consequence  was  that 
hundreds  and  thousands  of  the  people  were  sent  to 
prison,  and  as  there  was  not  room  enough  for  them 
in  the  ordinary  jails,  large  temporary  prisons  were 
erected  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  Those  persons 
who  were  actually  needed  for  work  or  service  which 
no  one  else  could  do  were  allowed  to  come  out  in  the 
day-time  on  parole ;  but  at  night  they  had  to  return  to 
their  prisons. 

It  was  during  this  deplorable  state  of  affairs  that  a 
stranger  entered  the  city  one  day.  He  was  surprised 
at  seeing  so  many  prisons,  and  approaching  the  win 
dow  in  one  of  them,  behind  the  bars  of  which  he  saw 
a  very  respectable-looking  citizen,  he  asked  what  all 
this  meant.  The  citizen  informed  him  how  matters 
stood,  and  then,  with  tears  mounting  to  his  ey«s,  he 
added : 

"  Oh,  sir,  I  have  tried  my  best  to  be  interested  in 
that  museum ;  but  it  is  impossible ;  I  cannot  make 
myself  care  for  it  in  the  slightest  degree  !  And,  what 
is  more,  I  know  I  shall  never  be  able  to  do  so  ;  and  I 
shall  languish  here  for  the  rest  of  my  days." 

Passing  on,  the  Stranger  met  a  mother  coming  out 
of  her  house.  Her  face  was  pale,  and  she  was  weep 
ing  bitterly.  Filled  with  pity,  he  stopped  and  asked 
her  what  was  the  matter.  "  Oh,  sir,"  she  said,  u  for 
a  week  I  have  been  trying,  for  the  sake  of  my  dear 
children,  to  take  an  interest  in  that  museum  For  a 
time  I  thought  I  might  do  it,  but  the  hopes  proved 


THE  QUEER'S  MUSEUM.  65 

false.  It  is  impossible.  I  must  leave  my  little  ones, 
and  go  to  prison.'* 

The  Stranger  was  deeply  affected  by  these  cases 
and  many  others  of  a  similar  character,  which  he  soon 
met  with.  "It  is  too  bad!  too  bad!"  he  said  to 
himself.  "  I  never  saw  a  city  in  so  much  trouble. 
There  is  scarcely  a  family,  I  am  told,  in  which  there 
is  not  some  uninterested  person  —  I  must  see  the 
Queen  and  talk  to  her  about  it,"  and  with  this  he 
wended  his  way  to  the  palace. 

He  met  the  Queen  just  starting  out  on  her  morning 
visit  to  the  museum.  When  he  made  it  known  that 
he  was  a  stranger,  and  desired  a  short  audience,  she 
stopped  and  spoke  to  him. 

44  Have  you  visited  my  museum  yet?"  she  said. 
"There  is  nothing  in  the  city  so  well  worth  your 
attention  as  that.  You  should  go  there  before  seeing 
any  thing  else.  You  have  a  high  forehead,  and  an 
intelligent  expression,  and  I  have  no  doubt  that  it 
will  interest  you  greatly.  I  am  going  there  myself, 
and  I  shall  be  glad  to  see  what  effect  that  fine  collec 
tion  has  upon  a  stranger." 

This  did  not  suit  the  Stranger  at  all.  From  what 
he  had  heard  he  felt  quite  sure  that  if  he  went  to  the 
museum,  he  would  soon  be  in  jail ;  and  so  he  hurried 
to  propose  a  plan  which  had  occurred  to  him  while  on 
his  way  to  the  palace. 

"  I  came  to  see  your  Majesty  on  the  subject  of 
the  museum,"  he  said,  "and  to  crave  permission  to 
contribute  to  the  collection  some  objects  which  shall 
be  interesting  to  every  one.  I  understand  that  it 


66  THE  QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

is  highly  desirable  that  every  one  should  be  inter 
ested." 

"Of  course  it  is,"  said  the  Queen,  "and  although 
I  think  that  there  is  not  the  slightest  reason  why  every 
one  should  not  feel  the  keenest  interest  in  what  the 
museum  already  contains,  I  am  willing  to  add  to  it 
whatever  may  make  it  of  greater  value." 

"  In  that  case,"  said  the  Stranger,  "  no  time  should 
be  lost  in  securing  what  I  wish  to  present." 

"  Go  at  once,"  said  the  Queen.  "But  how  soon 
can  you  return?  " 

"It  will  take  some  days,  at  least,"  said  the 
Stranger. 

"Give  me  your  parole  to  return  in  a  week,"  said 
the  Queen,  "  and  start  immediately." 

The  Stranger  gave  his  parole  and  left  the  palace. 
Having  filled  a  leathern  bag  with  provisions  from  a 
cook's  shop,  he  went  out  of  the  city  gates.  As  he 
walked  into  the  open  country,  he  said  to  himself : 

"  I  have  certainly  undertaken  a  very  difficult  enter 
prise.  Where  I  am  to  find  any  thing  that  will  interest 
all  the  people  in  that  city,  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know ; 
but  my  heart  is  so  filled  with  pity  for  the  great  number 
of  unfortunate  persons  who  are  torn  from  their  homes 
and  shut  up  in  prison,  that  I  am  determined  to  do 
something  for  them,  if  I  possibly  can.  There  must 
be  some  objects  to  be  found  in  this  vast  country  that 
will  interest  every  one." 

About  noon  he  came  to  a  great  mountain-side 
covered  with  a  forest.  Thinking  that  he  was  as 
likely  to  find  what  he  sought  in  one  place  as  another, 


THE  QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  67 

and  preferring  the  shade  to  the  sun,  he  entered  the 
forest,  and  walked  for  some  distance  along  a  path 
which  gradually  led  up  the  mountain.  Having  crossed 
a  brook  with  its  edges  lined  with  water-cresses,  he 
soon  perceived  a  large  cave,  at  the  entrance  of  which 
sat  an  aged  hermit.  "Ah,"  said  the  Stranger  to 
himself,  "this  is  indeed  fortunate!  This  good  and 
venerable  man,  who  passes  his  life  amid  the  secrets 
of  nature,  can  surely  tell  me  what  I  wish  to  know." 
Saluting  the  Hermit,  he  sat  down  and  told  the  old  man 
the  object  of  his  quest. 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  looking  for  what  you  will  not 
find,"  said  the  Hermit.  "Most  people  are  too  silly 
to  be  truly  interested  in  any  thing.  They  herd  to 
gether  like  cattle,  and  do  not  know  what  is  good  for 
them.  There  are  now  on  this  mountain-side  many 
commodious  and  comfortable  caves,  all  of  which  would 
be  tenanted  if  people  only  knew  how  improving  and 
interesting  it  is  to  live  apart  from  their  fellow-men. 
But,  so  far  as  it  can  be  done,  I  will  help  you  in  your 
quest,  which  I  think  is  a  worthy  one.  I  can  do 
nothing  for  you  myself,  but  I  have  a  pupil  who  is 
very  much  given  to  wandering  about,  and  looking  for 
curious  thiugs.  He  may  tell  you  where  you  will  be 
able  to  find  something  that  will  interest  everybody, 
though  I  doubt  it.  You  may  go  and  see  him,  if  you 
like,  and  I  will  excuse  him  from  his  studies  for  a 
time,  so  that  he  may  aid  you  in  your  search." 

The  Hermit  then  wrote  an  excuse  upon  a  piece  of 
parchment,  and,  giving  it  to  the  Stranger,  he  directed 
him  to  the  cave  of  his  pupil. 


68  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

This  was  situated  at  some  distance,  and  higher  up 
the  mountain,  and  when  the  Stranger  reached  it,  he 
found  the  Pupil  fast  asleep  upon  the  ground.  This 
individual  was  a  long-legged  youth,  with  long  arms, 
long  hair,  a  long  nose,  and  a  long  face.  When  the 
Stranger  awakened  him,  told  him  why  he  had  come, 
and  gave  him  the  hermit's  excuse,  the  sleepy  eyes  of 
the  Pupil  brightened,  and  his  face  grew  less  long. 

''That's  delightful!  "  he  said,  "to  be  let  off  on  a 
Monday  ;  for  I  generally  have  to  be  satisfied  with  a 
half-holiday,  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays." 

"Is  the  Hermit  very  strict  with  you?"  asked  the 
Stranger. 

44  Yes,"  said  the  Pupil,  "  I  have  to  stick  closely  to 
the  cave ;  though  I  have  been  known  to  go  fishing  on 
days  when  there  was  no  holiday.  I  have  never  seen 
the  old  man  but  once,  and  that  was  when  he  first  took 
me.  You  know  it  wouldn't  do  for  us  to  be  too  socia 
ble.  That  would  n't  be  hermit-like.  He  comes  up 
here  on  the  afternoons  I  am  out,  and  writes  down  what 
I  am  to  do  for  the  next  half- week." 

44  And  do  you  always  do  it?  "  asked  the  Stranger. 

44  Oh,  I  get  some  of  it  done,"  said  the  Pupil ;  44  but 
there  have  been  times  when  I  have  wondered  whether 
it  wouldn't  have  been  better  for  me  to  have  been  some* 
thing  else.  But  I  have  chosen  my  profession,  and  I 
suppose  I  must  be  faithful  to  it.  We  will  start  imme 
diately  on  our  search  ;  but  first  I  must  put  the  cave  in 
order,  for  the  old  man  will  be  sure  to  come  up  while  V 
am  gone/ 

So  saying,  the  Pupil  opened  an  old  parchment  book 


THE   QUEEN'S   MUSEUM.  69 

at  a  marked  page,  and  laid  it  on  a  flat  stone,  which 
served  as  a  table,  and  then  placed  a  skull  and  a  couple 
of  bones  in  a  proper  position  near  by. 

The  two  now  started  off,  the  Pupil  first  putting  a 
line  and  hook  in  his  pocket,  and  pulling  out  a  fishing- 
rod  from  under  some  bushes. 

4k  What  do  you  want  with  that?"  asked  the  Stranger, 
44  we  are  not  going  to  fish !  " 

44  Why  not?"  said  the  Pupil;  44  if  we  come  to  a 
good  place,  we  might  catch  something  that  would  be 
a  real  curiosity." 

Before  long  they  came  to  a  mountain  brook,  and 
here  the  Pupil  insisted  on  trying  his  luck.  The 
Stranger  was  a  little  tired  and  hungry,  and  so  was 
quite  willing  to  sit  down  for  a  time  and  eat  something 
from  his  bag.  The  Pupil  ran  off  to  find  some  bait, 
and  he  staid  away  so  long  that  the  Stranger  had  quite 
finished  his  meal  before  he  returned.  He  came  back 
at  last,  however,  in  a  state  of  great  excitement. 

"  Come  with  me!  come  with  me !  "  he  cried.  "  I 
have  found  something  that  is  truly  astonishing  !  Come 
quickly !  " 

The  Stranger  arose  and  hurried  after  the  Pupil, 
whose  long  legs  carried  him  rapidly  over  the  moun 
tain-side.  Reaching  a  large  hole  at  the  bottom  of  a 
precipitous  rock,  the  Pupil  stopped,  and  exclaiming: 
44  Come  in  here  and  I  will  show  you  something  that 
will  amaze  you !  "  he  immediately  entered  the  hole. 

The  Stranger,  who  was  very  anxious  to  see  what 
curiosit}"  he  had  found,  followed  him  some  distance 
along  a  narrow  and  winding  under-ground  passage. 


70  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

The  two  suddenly  emerged  into  a  high  and  spacious 
cavern,  which  was  lighted  by  openings  in  the  roof ; 
on  the  floor,  in  various  places,  were  strongly  fastened 
boxes,  and  packages  of  many  sorts,  bales  and  bundles 
of  silks  and  rich  cloths,  with  handsome  caskets,  and 
many  other  articles  of  value. 

4  i  What  kind  of  a  place  is  this  ? ' '  exclaimed  the 
Stranger,  in  great  surprise. 

"Don't  you  know?"  cried  the  Pupil,  his  eyes 
fairly  sparkling  with  delight.  "  It  is  a  robber's  den! 
Isn't  it  a  great  thing  to  find  a  place  like  this?  " 

"  A  robber's  den  !  "  exclaimed  the  Stranger  in  alarm ; 
"  let  us  get  out  of  it  as  quickly  as  we  can,  or  the  rob 
bers  will  return,  and  we  shall  be  cut  to  pieces." 

u  I  don't  believe  they  are  coming  back  very  soon," 
said  the  Pupil,  "  and  we  ought  to  stop  and  take  a  look 
at  some  of  these  things." 

"Fly,  you  foolish  youth !  "  cried  the  Stranger; 
"  you  do  not  know  what  danger  you  are  in."  And, 
so  saying,  he  turned  to  hasten  away  from  the  place. 

But  he  was  too  late.  At  that  moment  the  robber 
captain  and  his  band  entered  the  cave.  When  these 
men  perceived  the  Stranger  and  the  Hermit's  Pupil, 
they  drew  their  swords  and  were  about  to  rush  upon 
them,  when  the  Pupil  sprang  forward  and,  throwing  up 
his  long  arms,  exclaimed  : 
4  Stop!  it  is  a  mistake!  " 

At  these  words,  the  robber  captain  lowered  his  sword, 
and  motioned  to  his  men  to  halt.  "  A  mistake !  "  he 
said  ;  "  what  do  you  mean  by  that?  " 

"  I  mean,"  said  the  Pupil,  "  that  I  was  out  looking 


THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  71 

for  curiosities,  and  wandered  into  this  place  by  acci 
dent.  We  haven't  taken  a  thing.  You  may  count  your 
goods,  and  you  will  find  nothing  missing.  We  have 
not  even  opened  a  box,  although  I  very  much  wanted 
to  see  what  was  in  some  of  them.*' 

"  Are  his  statements  correct?  "  said  the  Captain, 
turning  to  the  Stranger. 

"Entirely  so,"  was  the  answer. 

"  You  have  truthful  features,  and  an  honest  expres 
sion,"  said  the  Captain,  "  and  I  do  not  believe  you 
would  be  so  dishonorable  as  to  creep  in  here  during 
our  absence  and  steal  our  possessions.  Your  lives 
shall  be  spared,  but  you  will  be  obliged  to  remain 
with  us ;  for  we  cannot  allow  any  one  who  knows  our 
secret  to  leave  us.  You  shall  be  treated  well,  and 
shall  accompany  us  in  our  expeditions ;  and  if  your 
conduct  merits  it,  you  shall  in  time  be  made  full 
members." 

Bitterly  the  Stranger  now  regretted  his  unfortunate 
position.  He  strode  up  and  down  one  side  of  the  cave, 
vowing  inwardly  that  never  again  would  he  allow  him 
self  to  be  led  by  a  Hermit's  Pupil.  That  individual, 
however,  was  in  a  state  of  high  delight.  He  ran 
about  from  box  to  bale,  looking  at  the  rare  treasures 
which  some  of  the  robbers  showed  him. 

The  two  captives  were  fed  and  lodged  very  well ; 
and  the  next  day  the  Captain  called  them  and  the 
band  together,  and  addressed  them. 

44  We  are  now  twenty-nine  in  number,*'  he  said; 
"  twenty-seven  full  members,  and  two  on  probation. 
To-night  we  are  about  to  undertake  a  very  important 


72  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

expedition,  in  which  we  shall  all  join.  We  shall  fasten 
up  the  door  of  the  cave,  and  at  the  proper  time  I  shall 
tell  you  to  what  place  we  are  going." 

An  hour  or  two  before  midnight  the  band  set  out, 
accompanied  by  the  Stranger  and  the  Hermit's  Pupil ; 
and  when  they  had  gone  some  miles  the  Captain  halted 
them  to  inform  them  of  the  object  of  the  expedition. 
"  We  are  going,"  he  said,  "  to  rob  the  Queen's 
museum.  It  is  the  most  important  business  we  have 
ever  undertaken." 

At  these  words  the  Stranger  stepped  forward  and 
made  a  protest.  *'  I  left  the  city  yesterday,"  he  said, 
44  commissioned  by  the  Queen  to  obtain  one  or  more 
objects  of  interest  for  her  museum  ;  and  to  return  now 
to  rob  an  institution  which  I  have  promised  to  enrich 
will  be  simply  impossible." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  the  Captain,  after  a  moment's 
reflection,  "  such  an  action  would  be  highly  dishonora 
ble  on  your  part.  If  you  will  give  me  your  word  of 
honor  that  you  will  remain  by  this  stone  until  our 
return,  the  expedition  will  proceed  without  you." 

The  Stranger  gave  his  word,  and  having  been  left 
sitting  upon  the  stone,  soon  dropped  asleep,  and  so 
remained  until  he  was  awakened  by  the  return  of  the 
band,  a  little  before  daylight.  They  came  slowly  toil 
ing  along,  each  man  carrying  an  enormous  bundle 
upon  his  back.  Near  the  end  of  the  line  was  the 
Hermit's  Pupil,  bearing  a  load  as  heav}T  as  any  of 
the  others.  The  Stranger  offered  to  relieve  him  for  a 
time  of  his  burden,  but  the  Pupil  would  not  allow  it. 

"  I  don't  wish  these  men  to  think  I  can't  do  as  much 


THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  73 

as  they  can,"  he  said.  u  You  ought  to  have  been 
along.  We  had  a  fine  time  !  We  swept  that  museum 
clean,  I  tell  you !  We  didn't  leave  a  thing  on  a  shelf 
or  in  a  case." 

"What  sort  of  things  are  they,"  asked  the 
Stranger. 

"I  don't  know,"  replied  the  Pupil,  "we  didn't 
have  any  light  for  fear  people  would  notice  it,  but  the 
moon  shone  in  bright  enough  for  us  to  see  all  the 
shelves  and  the  cases  ;  and  our  orders  were  not  to  try 
and  examine  any  thing,  but  to  take  all  that  was  there. 
The  cases  had  great  cloth  covers  on  them,  and  we 
spread  these  on  the  floor  and  made  bundles  of  the 
curiosities.  We  are  going  to  examine  them  carefully 
as  soon  as  we  get  to  the  den." 

It  was  broad  daylight  when  the  robbers  reached  their 
cave.  The  bundles  were  laid  in  a  great  circle  on  the 
floor,  and,  at  a  given  signal,  they  were  opened.  For 
a  moment  each  robber  gazed  blankly  at  the  contents 
of  his  bundle,  and  then  they  all  began  to  fumble  and 
search  among  the  piles  of  articles  upon  the  cloths  ;  but 
after  a  few  minutes,  they  arose,  looking  blanker  and 
more  disappointed  than  before. 

"  So  far  as  I  can  see,"  said  the  Captain,  u  there  is 
nothing  in  the  whole  collection  that  I  care  for.  I  do 
not  like  a  thing  here  !  " 

"  Nor  I !  "  "  Nor  I !  "  "  Nor  I !  "  cried  each  one 
of  his  band. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  the  Captain,  after  musing  for 
a  moment,  "  that  as  these  things  are  of  no  use  to  us, 
we  are  bound  in  honor  to  take  them  back." 


Y4  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

"  Hold !  "  said  the  Stranger,  stepping  forward ;  "  d< 
not  be  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  do  that."  He  then  tolc 
the  Captain  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  the  city,  anq 
explained  in  full  the  nature  of  the  expedition  he  had 
undertaken  for  the  Queen.  "I  think  it  would  be 
better,"  he  said,  "  if  these  things  were  not  taken  back 
for  the  present.  If  you  have  a  safe  place  where  you 
can  put  them,  I  will  in  due  time  tell  the  Queen  where 
they  are,  and  if  she  chooses  she  can  send  for  them." 

"Good!"  said  the  Captain,  "it  is  but  right  that 
she  should  bear  part  of  the  labor  of  transportation. 
There  is  a  disused  cave,  a  mile  or  so  away,  and  we 
will  tie  up  these  bundles  and  carry  them  there ;  and 
then  we  shall  leave  the  matter  to  you.  We  take  no 
further  interest  in  it.  And  if  you  have  given  your 
parole  to  the  Queen  to  return  in  a  week,"  the  Captain 
further  continued,  "of  course  you'll  have  to  keep  it. 
Did  you  give  your  parole  also?  "  he  asked,  turning  to 
the  Pupil. 

"  Oh,  no  !  "  cried  that  youth ;  "  there  was  no  time 
fixed  for  my  return.  And  I  am  sure  that  I  like  a 
robber's  life  much  better  than  that  of  a  hermit.  There 
is  ever  so  much  more  spice  and  dash  in  it." 

"  The  Stranger  was  then  told  that  if  he  would  prom 
ise  not  to  betray  the  robbers  he  might  depart.  He 
gave  the  promise ;  but  added  sadly  that  he  had  lost  so 
much  time  that  he  was  afraid  he  would  not  now  be  able 
to  attain  the  object  of  his  search  and  return  within  the 
week. 

"If  that  is  the  case,"  said  the  Captain,  "we  will 
gladly  assist  you.  "Comrades!"  he  cried,  address- 


THE   QUEEN'S   MUSEUM.  75 

ing  his  band,  "  after  stowing  this  useless  booty  in  the 
disused  cave,  and  taking  some  rest  and  refreshment, 
we  will  set  out  again,  and  the  object  of  our  expedition 
shall  be  to  obtain  something  for  the  Queen's  museum 
which  will  interest  every  one." 

Shortly  after  midnight  the  robbers  set  out,  accom 
panied  by  the  Stranger  and  the  Pupil.  When  they 
had  walked  about  an  hour,  the  Captain,  as  was  his 
custom,  brought  them  to  a  halt  that  he  might  tell 
them  where  they  were  going.  "I  have  concluded," 
said  he,  "  that  no  place  is  so  likely  to  contain  what  we 
are  looking  for  as  the  castle  of  the  great  magician, 
Alfrarmedj.  We  will,  therefore,  proceed  thither,  and 
sack  the  castle." 

"  Will  there  not  be  great  danger  in  attacking  the 
castle  of  a  magician?"  asked  the  Stranger  in  some 
what  anxious  tones. 

"  Of  course  there  will  be,"  said  the  Captain,  "but 
we  are  not  such  cowards  as  to  hesitate  on  account  of 
danger.  Forward,  my  men ! "  And  on  the}'  all 
inarched. 

When  they  reached  the  magician's  castle,  the  order 
was  given  to  scale  the  outer  wall.  This  the  robbers 
did  with  great  agility,  and  the  Hermit's  Pupil  was 
among  the  first  to  surmount  it.  But  the  Stranger  was 
not  used  to  climbing,  and  he  had  to  be  assisted  over 
the  wall.  Inside  the  great  court-yard  the}r  perceived 
numbers  of  Weirds  —  strange  shadowy  creatures  who 
gathered  silently  around  them  ;  but  not  in  the  least 
appalled,  the  robbers  formed  into  a  body,  and  marched 
into  the  castle,  the  door  of  which  stood  open.  They 


76  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

now  entered  a  great  hall,  having  at  one  end  a  doorway 
before  which  hung  a  curtain.  Following  their  Captain, 
the  robbers  approached  this  curtain,  and  pushing  it 
aside,  entered  the  room  beyond.  There,  behind  a 
large  table,  sat  the  great  magician,  Alfrarmedj,  busy 
over  his  mystic  studies,  which  he  generally  pursued  in 
the  dead  hours  of  the  night.  Drawing  their  swords, 
the  robbers  rushed  upon  him. 

"  Surrender !"  cried  the  Captain,  "  and  deliver  to 
us  the  treasures  of  your  castle." 

The  old  magician  raised  his  head  from  his  book, 
and,  pushing  up  his  spectacles  from  his  forehead, 
looked  at  them  mildly,  and  said  : 

"Freeze!" 

Instantly,  taey  all  froze  as  hard  as  ice,  each  man 
remaining  in  the  position  in  which  he  was  when  the 
magical  word  was  uttered.  With  uplifted  swords  and 
glaring  eyes  they  stood,  rigid  and  stiff,  before  the 
magician.  After  calmly  surveying  the  group,  the  old 
man  said : 

"  I  see  among  you  one  who  has  an  intelligent  brow 
and  truthful  expression.  His  head  may  thaw  suffi 
ciently  for  him  to  tell  me  what  means  this  untimely 
intrusion  upon  my  studies." 

The  Stranger  now  felt  his  head  begin  to  thaw,  and 
in  a  few  moments  he  was  able  to  speak.  He  then 
told  the  magician  about  the  Queen's  museum,  and  how 
it  had  happened  that  he  had  come  there  with  the  rob 
bers. 

"  Your  motive  is  a  good  one,"  said  the  magician, 
"  though  your  actions  are  somewhat  erratic ;  and  I  do 


THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  77 

not  mind  helping  you  to  find  what  3-011  wish.  In  what 
class  of  objects  do  the  people  of  the  city  take  the 
most  interest?  " 

44  Truly  I  do  not  know,"  said  the  Stranger. 

4 'This  fe  indeed  surprising!"  exclaimed  Alfrar- 
medj.  "  How  can  you  expect  to  obtain  that  which 
will  interest  every  one,  when  you  do  not  know  what  it 
is  in  which  every  one  takes  an  interest?  Go,  find  out 
this,  and  then  return  to  me,  and  I  will  see  what  can  be 
done." 

The  magician  then  summoned  his  Weirds  and  ordered 
them  to  carry  the  frozen  visitors  outside  the  castle 
walls.  Each  one  of  the  rigid  figures  was  taken  up  by 
two  Weirds,  who  carried  him  out  and  stood  him  up 
in  the  road  outside  the  castle.  When  all  had  been 
properly  set  up,  with  the  captain  at  their  head,  the 
gates  were  shut,  and  the  magician  still  sitting  at  his 
table,  uttered  the  word,  "  Thaw  !  " 

Instantly,  the  whole  band  thawed  and  marched 
away.  At  daybreak  they  halted,  and  considered  how 
they  should  find  out  what  all  the  people  in  the  city  took 
an  interest  in. 

41  One  thing  is  certain,"  cried  the  Hermit's  Pupil, 
44  whatever  it  is,  it  isn't  the  same  thing." 

"Your  remark  is  not  well  put  together,"  said  the 
Stranger,  44but  I  see  the  force  of  it.  It  is  true  that 
different  people  like  different  things.  But  how  shall 
we  find  out  what  the  different  people  like?  " 

44  By  asking  them,"  said  the  Pupil. 

44  Good !"  cried  the  Captain,  who  preferred  action 
to  words.  44  This  night  we  will  ask  them." 


78  THE  QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

He  then  drew  upon  the  sand  a  plan  of  the  city,  — • 
(with  which  he  was  quite  familiar,  having  carefully 
robbed  it  for  many  years,) — and  divided  it  into 
twenty -eight  sections,  each  one  of  which  was  assigned 
to  a  man.  "I  omit  you,"  the  Captain  said  to  the 
Stranger,  "because  I  find  that  you  are  not  expert 
at  climbing."  He  then  announced  that  at  night  the 
band  would  visit  the  city,  and  that  each  man  should 
enter  the  houses  in  his  district,  and  ask  the  people 
what  it  was  in  which  they  took  the  greatest  interest. 

They  then  proceeded  to  the  cave  for  rest  and 
refreshment ;  and  a  little  before  midnight  they  entered 
the  city,  and  each  member  of  the  baud,  including  the 
Hermit's  Pupil,  proceeded  to  attend  to  the  business 
assigned  to  him.  It  was  ordered  that  no  one  should 
disturb  the  Queen,  for  they  knew  that  what  she  took 
most  interest  in  was  the  museum.  During  the  night 
nearly  every  person  in  the  town  was  aroused  by  a 
black -bearded  robber,  who  had  climbed  into  one  of  the 
windows  of  the  house,  and  who,  instead  of  demanding 
money  and  jewels,  simply  asked  what  it  was  in  which 
that  person  took  the  greatest  interest.  Upon  receiv 
ing  an  answer,  the  robber  repeated  it  until  he  had 
learned  it  by  heart,  and  then  went  to  the  next  house. 
As  so  many  of  the  citizens  were  confined  in  prisons, 
which  the  robbers  easily  entered,  they  transacted  the 
business  in  much  less  time  than  they  would  otherwise 
have  required. 

The  Hermit's  Pupil  was  very  active,  climbing  into 
and  out  of  houses  with  great  agility.  He  obtained  his 
answers  quite  as  easily  as  did  the  others,  but  whenever 


THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  79 

he  left  a  house  there  was  a  shade  of  disappointment 
upon  his  features.  Among  the  last  places  that  he 
visited  was  a  room  in  which  two  buys  were  sleeping. 
He  awoke  them  and  asked  the  usual  question.  While 
they  were  trembling  in  their  bed,  not  knowing  what  to 
answer,  the  Pupil  drew  his  sword  and  exclaimed : 
'*  Come,  now,  no  prevarication  ;  you  know  it's  fishing- 
tackle.  Speak  out !  "  Each  of  the  boys  then  promptly 
declared  it  was  fishing-tackle,  and  the  pupil  left,  greatly 
gratified.  "  I  was  very  much  afraid,"  he  said  to  him 
self,  "  that  not  a  person  in  my  district  would  say  lish- 
ing-tackle  ;  and  I  am  glad  to  think  that  there  were  two 
boys  who  had  sense  enough  to  like  something  that  is 
really  interesting." 

It  was  nearly  daylight  when  the  work  was  finished  ; 
and  then  the  band  gathered  together  in  an  appointed 
place  on  the  outside  of  the  city,  where  the  Stranger 
awaited  them.  Each  of  the  men  had  an  excellent 
memory,  which  was  necessary  in  their  profession,  and 
they  repeated  to  the  Stranger  all  the  objects  and  sub 
jects  that  had  been  mentioned  to  them,  and  he  wrote 
them  down  upon  tablets. 

The  next  night,  accompanied  by  the  band,  he  pro 
ceeded  to  the  castle  of  the  magician,  the  great  gate  of 
which  was  silently  opened  for  them  by  the  Weirds. 
When  they  were  ushered  into  the  magician's  room, 
Alfrarmedj  took  the  tablets  from  the  Stranger  and  ex 
amined  them  carefully. 

"All  these  things  should  make  a  very  complete 
collection,"  he  said,  "and  I  think  I  have  specimens 
&f  the  various  objects  in  my  interminable  vaults." 


80  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

He  then  called  his  Weirds  and,  giving  one  of  them 
the  tablets,  told  him  to  go  with  his  companions  into  the 
vaults  and  gather  enough  of  the  things  therein  men 
tioned  to  fill  a  large  museum.  In  half  an  hour  the 
"NVeirds  returned  and  announced  that  the  articles  were 
ready  in  the  great  court-yard. 

"Go,  then,  said  the  magician,  "and  assist  these 
men  to  carry  them  to  the  Queen's  museum." 

The  Stranger  then  heartily  thanked  Alfrarmedj  for 
the  assistance  he  had  given ;  and  the  band,  accom 
panied  by  a  number  of  Weirds,  proceeded  to  carry  the 
objects  of  interest  to  the  Queen's  museum.  It  was 
a  strange  procession.  Half  a  dozen  Weirds  carried  a 
stuffed  mammoth,  followed  by  others  bearing  the  skele 
ton  of  a  whale,  while  the  robbers  and  the  rest  of  their 
queer  helpers  were  loaded  with  every  thing  relating  to 
history,  science,  and  art  which  ought  to  be  in  a  really 
good  museum.  When  the  whole  collection  had  been 
put  in  place  upon  the  floors,  the  shelves,  and  in  the 
cases,  it  was  nearly  morning.  The  robbers,  with  the 
Hermit's  Pupil,  retired  to  the  cave ;  the  Weirds  dis 
appeared  ;  while  the  Stranger  betook  himself  to  the 
Queen's  palace,  where,  as  soon  as  the  proper  hour 
arrived,  he  requested  an  audience. 

When  he  saw  the  Queen,  he  perceived  that  she  was 
very  pale  and  that  her  cheeks  bore  traces  of  recent 
tears.  "  You  are  back  in  good  time,"  she  said  to 
him,  "but  it  makes  very  little  difference  whether  you 
have  succeeded  in  your  mission  or  not.  There  is  no 
longer  any  museum.  There  has  been  a  great  robbery, 
and  the  thieves  have  carried  off  the  whole  of  the  vast 


THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  81 

and  valuable  collection  which  I  have  been  so  long  in 
making." 

44 1  know  of  that  affair,"  said  the  Stranger,  44and 
I  have  already  placed  in  your  museum-building  the 
collection  which  I  have  obtained.  If  your  Majesty 
pleases,  I  shall  be  glad  to  have  you  look  tit  it.  It  may, 
in  some  degree,  compensate  for  that  which  has  been 
stolen." 

"Compensate!"  cried  the  Queen.  4t  Nothing  can 
compensate  for  it ;  1  do  not  even  wish  to  see  what  you 
have  brought." 

44  Be  that  as  your  Majesty  pleases,"  said  the  Stran 
ger  ;  4  4  but  I  will  be  so  bold  as  to  say  that  I  have  great 
hopes  that  the  collection  which  I  have  obtained  will 
interest  the  people.  Will  your  Majesty  graciously 
allow  them  to  see  it?" 

44 1  have  no  objection  to  that,"  said  the  Queen; 
44  and  indeed  I  shall  be  very  glad  if  they  can  be 
made  to  be  interested  in  the  museum.  I  will  give 
orders  that  the  prisons  be  opened,  so  that  everybody 
can  go  to  see  what  you  have  brought ;  and  those  who 
shall  be  interested  in  it  may  return  to  their  homes.  I 
did  not  release  my  obstinate  subjects  when  the  museum 
was  robbed,  because  their  fault  then  was  just  as  great 
as  it  was  before ;  and  it  would  not  be  right  that  they 
should  profit  by  my  loss." 

The  Queen's  proclamation  was  made,  and  for  several 
days  the  museum  was  crowded  with  people  moving 
from  morning  till  night  through  the  vast  collection  of 
stuffed  animals,  birds,  and  fishes ;  rare  and  brilliant 
iflsects ;  mineral  and  vegetable  curiosities ;  beautiful 


82  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

works  of  art ;  and  all  the  strange,  valuable,  and  in 
structive  objects  which  had  been  brought  from  the 
interminable  vaults  of  the  magician  Alfrarmedj.  The 
Queen's  officers,  who  had  been  sent  to  observe  whether 
or  not  the  people  were  interested,  were  in  no  doubt 
upon  this  point.  Every  eye  sparkled  with  delight, 
for  every  one  found  something  which  was  the  very 
thing  he  wished  to  see ;  and  in  the  throng  was  the 
Hermit's  Pupil,  standing  in  rapt  ecstasy  before  a  large 
case  containing  all  sorts  of  fishing-tackle,  from  the 
smallest  hooks  for  little  minnows  to  the  great  irons 
and  spears  used  in  capturing  whales. 

No  one  went  back  to  prison,  and  the  city  was  full 
of  re-united  households  and  happy  homes.  On  the 
morning  of  the  fourth  day,  a  grand  procession  of 
citizens  came  to  the  palace  to  express  to  the  Queen 
their  delight  and  appreciation  of  her  museum.  The 
great  happiness  of  her  subjects  could  but  please  the 
Queen.  She  called  the  Stranger  to  her,  and  said  to 
him : 

44  Tell  me  how  you  came  to  know  what  it  was  that 
would  interest  my  people." 

44 1  asked  them,"  said  the  Stranger.  4'That  is  to 
say,  I  arranged  that  they  should  be  asked." 

44  That  was  well  done,"  said  the  Queen  ;  4'  but  it  is 
a  great  pity  that  my  long  labors  in  their  behalf  should 
have  been  lost.  For  many  years  I  have  been  a  col 
lector  of  button-holes  ;  and  there  was  nothing  valuable 
or  rare  in  the  line  of  my  studies  of  which  I  had  not 
an  original  specimen  or  a  fac-simile.  My  agents 
brought  me  from  foreign  lands,  even  from  the  most 


THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  83 

distant  islands  of  the  sea,  button-holes  of  every  kind  ; 
in  silk,  in  wool,  in  cloth  of  gold,  in  every  imaginable 
material,  and  of  those  which  could  not  be  obtained 
careful  copies  were  made.  There  was  not  a  duplicate 
specimen  in  the  whole  collection ;  only  one  of  each 
kind ;  nothing  repeated.  Never  before  was  there  such 
a  museum.  With  all  my  power  I  strove  to  educate  my 
people  up  to  an  appreciation  of  button-holes ;  but, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  tailors  and  seamstresses, 
nobody  took  the  slightest  interest  in  what  I  had  pro 
vided  for  their  benefit.  I  am  glad  that  my  people  are 
happy,  but  I  cannot  restrain  a  sigh  for  the  failure  of 
my  efforts." 

44  The  longer  your  Majesty  lives,"  said  the  Stranger, 
44  the  better  you  will  understand  that  we  cannot  make 
other  people  like  a  thing  simply  because  we  like  it 
ourselves." 

"  Stranger,"  said  the  Queen,  gazing  upon  him  with 
admiration,  "  are  you  a  king  in  disguise?  " 

"  I  am,"  he  replied. 

44 1  thought  I  perceived  it,"  said  the  Queen,  "  and 
I  wish  to  add  that  I  believe  you  are  far  better  able  to 
govern  this  kingdom  than  I  am.  If  you  choose  I  will 
resign  it  to  you." 

44  Not  so,  your  majesty,"  said  the  other ;  "  I  would 
not  deprive  you  of  your  royal  position,  but  I  should 
be  happy  to  share  it  with  you." 

44  That  will  »uswer  very  well,"  said  the  Queen. 
And  turning  to  an  attendant,  she  gave  orders  that 
preparations  should  be  made  for  their  marriage  on  the 
following  day. 


84  THE  QUEENS  MUSEUM. 

After  the  royal  wedding,  which  was  celebrated  with 
great  pomp  and  grandeur,  the  Queen  paid  a  visit  'to 
the  museum,  and,  much  to  her  surprise,  was  greatly 
delighted  and  interested.  The  King  then  informed 
her  that  he  happened  to  know  where  the  robbers  had 
stored  her  collection,  which  they  could  not  sell  or 
make  use  of,  and  if  she  wished,  he  would  regain  the- 
collection  and  erect  a  building  for  its  reception. 

"  We  will  not  do  that  at  present,"  said  the 
Queen.  "When  I  shall  have  thoroughly  examined 
and  studied  all  these  objects,  most  of  which  are  en 
tirely  new  to  me,  we  will  decide  about  the  button 
holes.'* 

The  Hermit's  Pupil  did  not  return  to  his  cave.  He 
was  greatly  delighted  with  the  spice  and  dash  of  a 
robber's  life,  so  different  from  that  of  a  hermit ;  and 
he  determined,  if  possible,  to  change  his  business  and 
enter  the  band.  He  had  a  conversation  with  the 
Captain  on  the  subject,  and  that  individual  encouraged 
him  in  his  purpose. 

"  I  am  tired,"  the  Captain  said,  "  of  a  robber's  life. 
I  have  stolen  so  much,  that  I  cannot  use  what  I 
have.  I  take  no  further  interest  in  accumulating  spoils. 
The  quiet  of  a  hermit's  life  attracts  me ;  and,  if  you 
like  we  will  change  places.  I  will  become  the  pupil  of 
your  old  master,  and  you  shall  be  the  captain  of  my 
band." 

The  change  was  made.  The  Captain  retired  to  the 
cave  of  the  Hermit's  Pupil,  while  the  latter,  with  the 
hearty  consent  of  all  the  men,  took  command  of 
the  band  of  robbers. 


THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM.  85 

"When  the  King  heard  of  this  change,  he  was  not 
at  all  pleased,  and  he  sent  for  the  ex-pupil. 

"  I  am  willing  to  reward  3*011,"  he  said,  "  for 
assisting  me  in  my  recent  undertaking  ;  but  I  cannot 
allow  you  to  lead  a  band  of  robbers  in  my  dominions." 

A  dark  shade  of  disappointment  passed  over  the 
ex-pupil's  features,  and  his  face  lengthened  visibly. 

"  It  is  too  bad,"  he  said,  "  to  be  thus  cut  short  at 
the  very  outset  of  a  brilliant  career.  I'll  tell  you 
what  I'll  do,"  he  added  suddenly,  his  face  brightening, 
41  if  you'll  let  me  keep  on  in  my  new  profession,  I'll 
promise  to  do  nothing  but  rob  robbers." 

"  Very  well,"  said  the  King,  "if  you  will  confine 
yourself  to  that,  you  may  retain  your  position." 

The  members  of  the  band  were  perfectly  willing  to 
rob  in  the  new  way,  for  it  seemed  quite  novel  and 
exciting  to  them.  The  first  place  they  robbed  was 
their  own  cave,  and  as  they  all  had  excellent  memories, 
they  knew  from  whom  the  various  goods  had  been 
stolen,  and  every  thing  was  returned  to  its  proper 
owner.  The  ex-pupil  then  led  his  band  against  the 
other  dens  of  robbers  in  the  kingdom,  and  his  move 
ments  were  conducted  with  such  dash  and  vigor  that 
the  various  hordes  scattered  in  every  direction,  while 
the  treasures  in  their  dens  were  returned  to  the  owners, 
or,  if  these  could  not  be  found,  were  given  to  the 
poor.  In  a  short  time  every  robber,  except  those  led 
by  the  ex-pupil,  had  gone  into  some  other  business ; 
and  the  victorious  youth  led  his  band  into  other 
kingdoms  to  continue  the  great  work  of  robbing 
robbers. 


86  THE   QUEEN'S  MUSEUM. 

The  Queen  never  sent  for  the  collection  of  curiosi 
ties  which  the  robbers  had  stolen  from  her.  She  was 
so  much  interested  in  the  new  museum  that  she  con 
tinually  postponed  the  re-establishment  of  her  old  one ; 
and,  as  far  as  can  be  known,  the  button-holes  are  still 
in  the  cave  where  the  robbers  shut  them  up. 


CHRISTMAS    BEFORE    LAST; 

OR,   THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM. 


rpHE  "HORN  o'  PLENTY"  was  a  fine,  big,  old- 
J-  fashioned  ship,  very  high  in  the  bow,  very  high  in 
the  stern,  with  a  quarter-deck  always  carpeted  in  fine 
weather,  because  her  captain  could  not  see  why  one 
should  not  make  himself  comfortable  at  sea  as  well  as 
on  laud.  Covajos  Maroots  was  her  captain,  and  a 
fine,  jolly,  old-fashioned,  elderly  sailor  he  was.  The 
"Horn  o'  Plenty"  always  sailed  upon  one  sea,  and 
always  between  two  ports,  one  on  the  west  side  of  the 
sea,  and  one  on  the  east.  The  port  on  the  west  was 
quite  a  large  city,  in  which  Captain  Covajos  had  a 
married  son,  and  the  port  on  the  east  was  another  city 
in  which  he  had  a  married  daughter.  In  each  family  he 
had  several  grandchildren  ;  and,  consequently,  it  was 
a  great  joy  to  the  jolly  old  sailor  to  arrive  at  either 
port.  The  Captain  was  very  particular  about  his 
cargo,  and  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty  "  was  generally  ladeu 
with  good  things  to  eat,  or  sweet  things  to  smell,  or 
fine  things  to  wear,  or  beautiful  things  to  look  at. 
Once  a  merchant  brought  to  him  some  boxes  of  bitter 

87 


88  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

aloes,    and    mustard    plasters,   but    Captain    Covajo* 
refused  to  take  them  into  his  ship. 

"  I  know,"  said  he,  "  that  such  things  are  very  use 
ful  and  necessary  at  times,  but  you  would  better  send 
them  over  in  some  other  vessel.  The  * l  Horn  o'  Plenty  ' ' 
has  never  carried  any  thing  that  to  look  at.  to  taste,  or 
to  smell,  did  not  delight  the  souls  of  old  and  young. 
I  am  sure  you  cannot  sa}r  that  of  these  commodities. 
If  I  were  to  put  such  things  on  board  my  ship,  it  would 
break  the  spell  which  more  than  fifty  savory  voyages 
havG  thrown  around  it." 

There  were  sailors  who  sailed  upon  that  sea  who 
used  to  say  that  sometimes,  when  the  weather  was 
hazy  and  they  could  not  see  far,  they  would  know  they 
were  about  to  meet  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty  "  before  she 
came  in  sight ;  her  planks  and  timbers,  and  even  her 
sails  and  masts,  had  gradually  become  so  filled  with 
the  odor  of  good  things  that  the  winds  that  blew 
over  her  were  filled  with  an  agreeable  fragrance. 

There  was  another  thing  about  which  Captain  Cova- 
jos  was  very  particular ;  he  always  liked  to  arrive  at 
one  of  his  ports  a  few  da}rs  before  Christmas.  Never, 
in  the  course  of  his  long  life,  had  the  old  sailor  spent 
a  Christmas  at  sea ;  and  now  that  he  had  his  fine 
grandchildren  to  help  make  the  holidaj's  merry,  it 
would  have  grieved  him  very  much  if  he  had  been 
unable  to  reach  one  or  the  other  of  his  ports  in  good 
season.  His  jolly  old  vessel  was  generally  heavily 
laden,  and  very  slow,  and  there  were  many  days  of 
calms  on  that  sea  when  she  did  not  sail  at  all,  so  that 
her  voyages  were  usually  very,  very  long.  But  the 


THE  FRUIT  OF   THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  85 

Captain  fixed  the  days  of  sailing  so  as  to  give  himself 
plenty  of  time  to  get  to  the  other  eud  of  his  course 
before  Christmas  came  around. 

One  spring,  however,  he  started  too  late,  and  when 
he  was  about  the  middle  of  his  voyage,  he  called  to 
him  Baragat  Bean,  his  old  boatswain.  This  venerable 
sailor  had  been  with  the  Captain  ever  since  he  had 
commanded  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty,"  and  on  important 
occasions  he  was  always  consulted  in  preference  to  the 
other  officers,  none  of  whom  had  served  under  Captain 
Covajos  more  then  fifteen  or  twenty  years. 

44  Baragat,"  said  the  Captain,  "  we  have  just  passed 
the  Isle  of  Guinea-Hens.  You  can  see  its  one  moun 
tain  standing  up  against  the  sky  to  the  north." 

"Aye,  aye,  sir,"  said  old  Baragat;  "there  she 
stands,  the  same  as  usual." 

44  That  makes  it  plain,"  said  the  Captain,  "  that  we 
are  not  yet  half-way  across,  and  I  am  very  much  afraid 
that  I  shall  not  be  able  to  reach  my  dear  daughter's 
house  before  Christmas." 

44  That  would  be  doleful,  indeed,"  said  Baragat; 
"  but  I've  feared  something  of  the  kind,  for  we've  had 
calms  nearly  every  other  day,  and  sometimes,  when 
the  wind  did  blow,  it  came  from  the  wrong  direction, 
and  it's  my  belief  that  the  ship  sailed  backward." 

44  That  was  very  bad  management,"  said  the  Cap 
tain.  "  The  chief  mate  should  have  seen  to  it  that  the 
sails  were  turned  in  such  a  manner  that  the  ship  could 
not  go  backward.  If  that  sort  of  thing  happened 
often,  it  would  become  quite  a  serious  affair." 

44  But  what  is  done  can't  be  helped,"  said  the  boat- 


90  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

swain,  "  and  I  don't  see  how  you  are  going  to  get  into 
port  before  Christmas." 

"  Nor  do  I,"  said  the  Captain,  gazing  out  over  the 
sea. 

"It  would  give  me  a  sad  turn,  sir,"  said  Baragat, 
"to  see  you  spend  Christmas  at  sea  ;  a  thing  you  never 
did  before,  nor  ever  shall  do,  if  I  can  help  it.  If  you'll 
take  my  advice,  sir,  you'll  turn  around,  and  go  back. 
It's  a  shorter  distance  to  the  port  we  started  from  than 
to  the  one  we  are  going  to,  and  if  we  turn  back 
now,  I  am  sure  we  all  shall  be  on  shore  before  the 
holidays." 

"  Go  back  to  my  son's  house  !  "  exclaimed  Captain 
Covajos,  "  where  I  was  last  winter !  Why,  that  would 
be  like  spending  last  Christmas  over  again !  " 

"  But  that  would  be  better  than  having  none  at  all, 
sir,"  said  the  boatswain,  "and  a  Christmas  at  sea 
would  be  about  equal  to  none." 

"  Good  !  "  exclaimed  the  Captain.  "  I  will  give  up 
the  coming  Christmas  with  my  daughter  and  her  chil 
dren,  and  go  back  and  spend  last  Christmas  over  again 
with  my  son  and  his  dear  boys  and  girls.  Have  the 
ship  turned  around  immediately,  Baragat,  and  tell  the 
chief  mate  I  do  not  wish  to  sail  backward  if  it  can 
possibly  be  avoided." 

For  a  week  or  more  the  "  Horn  o*  Plenty"  sailed 
back  upon  her  track  towards  the  city  where  dwelt  the 
Captain's  son.  The  weather  was  fine,  the  carpet  was 
never  taken  up  from  the  quarter-deck,  and  every  thing 
was  going  on  very  well,  when  a  man,  who  happened  to 
have  an  errand  at  one  of  the  topmasts,  came  down, 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  91 

and  reported  that,  far  away  to  the  north,  he  had  seen 
a  little  open  boat  with  some  people  in  it. 

"Ah  me!"  said  Captain  Covajos,  "  it  must  be 
some  poor  fellows  who  are  shipwrecked.  It  will  take 
us  out  of  our  course,  but  we  must  not  leave  them  to 
their  fate.  Have  the  ship  turned  about,  so  that  it  will 
sail  northward." 

It  was  not  very  long  before  they  came  up  with  the 
boat;  and,  much  to  the  Captain's  surprise,  he  saw  that 
it  was  filled  with  boys. 

"  Who  are  you?"  he  cried  as  soon  as  he  was  near 
enough.  "  And  where  do  you  come  from?  " 

14  We  are  the  First  Class  in  Long  Division,"  said 
the  oldest  boy,  "  and  we  are  cast  away.  Have  you 
any  thing  to  eat  that  you  can  spare  us  ?  We  are  almost 
famished." 

"  We  have  plenty  of  every  thing,"  said  the  Captain. 
"  Come  on  board  instantly,  and  all  your  wants  shall 
be  supplied." 

44 How  long  have  you  been  without  food?"  he  asked, 
when  the  boys  were  on  the  deck  of  the  vessel. 

"  We  have  had  nothing  to  eat  since  breakfast,"  said 
one  of  them  ;  u  and  it  is  now  late  in  the  afternoon. 
Some  of  us  are  nearly  dead  from  starvation." 

4 'It  is  very  hard  for  boys  to  go  so  long  without 
eating,"  said  the  good  Captain.  And  leading  them 
below,  he  soon  set  them  to  work  upon  a  bountiful 
meal. 

Not  until  their  hunger  was  fully  satisfied  did  he  ask 
them  how  they  came  to  be  cast  away. 

44  You  see,  sir,"  said  the  oldest  boy,  44  that  we  and 


92  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

the  Multiplication  Class  had  a  holiday  to-day,  and 
each  class  took  a  boat  and  determined  to  have  a  race, 
so  as  to  settle,  once  for  all,  which  was  the  highest 
branch  of  arithmetic,  multiplication  or  long  division. 
Our  class  rowed  so  hard  that  we  entirely  lost  sight  of 
the  Multiplicationers,  and  found  indeed  that  we  were 
out  of  sight  of  every  thing  ;  so  that,  at  last,  we  did  not 
know  which  was  the  way  back,  and  thus  we  became 
castaways." 

44  Where  is  your  school?  "  asked  the  Captain. 

"It  is  on  Apple  Island,"  said  the  boy;  "  and, 
although  it  is  a  long  way  off  for  a  small  boat  with 
only  four  oars  for  nine  bo}*s,  it  can't  be  very  far  for  a 
ship." 

u  That  is  quite  likely,"  said  the  Captain,  "  and  we 
shall  take  you  home.  Baragat,  tell  the  chief  mate  to 
have  the  vessel  turned  toward  Apple  Island,  that  we 
may  restore  these  boys  to  their  parents  and  guardians." 

Now,  the  chief  mate  had  not  the  least  idea  in  the 
world  where  Apple  Island  was,  but  he  did  not  like  to 
ask,  because  that  would  be  confessing  his  ignorance ; 
so  he  steered  his  vessel  toward  a  point  where  he  be 
lieved  he  had  once  seen  an  island,  which,  probably, 
was  the  one  in  question.  The  "Horn  o'  Plenty" 
sailed  in  this  direction  all  night,  and  when  day  broke, 
and  there  was  no  island  in  sight,  she  took  another 
course ;  and  so  sailed  this  way  and  that  for  six  or 
seven  days,  without  ever  seeing  a  sign  of  land.  All 
this  time,  the  First  Class  in  Long  Division  was  as 
happy  as  it  could  be,  for  it  was  having  a  perfect  holi 
day  ;  fishing  off  the  sides  of  the  vessel,  climbing  up 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  93 

the  ladders  and  ropes,  and  helping  the  sailors  whistle 
for  wind.  But  the  Captain  now  begun  to  grow  a  little 
impatient,  for  he  felt  he  was  losing  time  ;  so  he  sent 
for  the  chief  mate,  and  said  to  him  mildly  but  firmly : 

u  I  know  it  is  out  of  the  line  of  3*0111'  duty  to  search 
for  island  schools,  but,  if  you  really  think  that  yrou  do 
not  know  where  Apple  Island  lies,  I  wish  you  to  say 
so,  frankly  and  openly." 

u  Frankly  and  openly,"  answered  the  mate,  "  I 
don't  think  I  do." 

"Very  well,"  said  the  Captain.  '-Now,  that  is  a 
basis  to  work  upon,  and  we  know  where  we  stand. 
You  can  take  a  little  rest,  and  let  the  second  mate  find 
the  island.  But  I  can  only  give  him  three  days  in 
which  to  do  it.  We  really  have  no  time  to  spare." 

The  second  mate  was  very  proud  of  the  responsi 
bility  placed  upon  him,  and  immediately  ordered  the 
vessel  to  be  steered  due  south. 

"One  is  just  as  likely,"  he  said,  '•  to  find  a  totally 
unknown  place  by  going  straight  ahead  in  a  certain 
direction,  as  by  sailing  here,  there,  and  everywhere. 
In  this  way,  you  really  get  over  more  water,  and  there 
is  less  wear  and  tear  of  the  ship  and  rigging." 

So  he  sailed  due  south  for  two  days,  and  at  the  end 
of  that  time  they  came  in  sight  of  land.  This  was 
quite  a  large  island,  and  when  they  approached  near 
enough,  they  saw  upon  its  shores  a  very  handsome 
city. 

u  Is  this  Apple  Island?"  said  Captain  Covajos  to 
the  oldest  boy. 

44  Well,  sir,"  answered  the  youth,  "  I  am  not  sure  I 


94  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

can  say  with  certainty  that  I  truly  believe  that  it  is ; 
but,  I  think,  if  we  were  to  go  on  shore,  the  people 
there  would  be  able  to  tell  us  how  to  go  to  Apple 
Island." 

"Very  likely,"  said  the  good  Captain;  "and  we 
will  go  on  shore  and  make  inquiries.  — And  it  has  struck 
me,  Baragat,"  he  said,  "that  perhaps  the  merchants  in 
the  city  where  my  son  lives  may  be  somewhat  annoyed 
when  the  4  Horn  o'  Plenty '  comes  back  with  all  their 
goods  on  board,  and  not  disposed  of.  Not  under 
standing  my  motives,  they  may  be  disposed  to  think  ill 
of  me.  Consequently  the  idea  has  come  into  my  head, 
that  it  might  be  a  good  thing  to  stop  here  for  a  time, 
and  try  to  dispose  of  some  of  our  merchandise.  The 
city  seems  to  be  quite  prosperous,  and  I  have  no  doubt 
there  are  a  number  of  merchants  here." 

So  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty  "  was  soon  anchored  in  the 
harbor,  and  as  many  of  the  officers  and  crew  as  could 
be  spared  went  on  shore  to  make  inquiries.  Of  course 
the  First  Class  in  Long  Division  was  not  left  behind  ; 
and,  indeed,  they  were  ashore  as  soon  as  anybody. 
The  Captain  and  his  companions  were  cordially  wel 
comed  by  some  of  the  dignitaries  of  the  city  who  had 
come  down  to  the  harbor  to  see  the  strange  vessel ; 
but  no  one  could  give  any  information  in  regard  to 
Apple  Island,  the  name  of  which  had  never  been  heard 
on  those  shores.  The  Captain  was  naturally  desirous 
of  knowing  at  what  place  he  had  landed,  and  was 
informed  that  this  was  the  Island  of  the  Fragile  Palm. 

"That  is  rather  an  odd  name,"  said  the  old  Cap 
tain.  "  Why  is  it  so  called?  " 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE   FRAGILE  PALM.  95 

"The  reason  is  this,"  said  his  informant.  "  Near 
the  centre  of  the  island  stands  a  tall  and  very  slender 
palm-tree,  which  has  been  growing  there  for  hundreds 
of  years.  It  bears  large  and  handsome  fruit  which 
is  something  like  the  cocoanut ;  and,  in  its  perfection, 
is  said  to  be  a  transcendently  delicious  fruit." 

44  Said  to  be!"  exclaimed  the  Captain;  "  are  you 
not  positive  about  it?  " 

"No,"  said  the  other;  "no  one  living  has  ever 
tasted  the  fruit  in  its  perfection.  When  it  becomes 
overripe,  it  drops  to  the  ground,  and,  even  then,  it  is 
considered  royal  property,  and  is  taken  to  the  palace 
for  the  King's  table.  But  on  fete-days  and  grand 
occasions  small  bits  of  it  are  distributed  to  the 
populace." 

"Why  don't  you  pick  the  fruit,"  asked  Captain 
Covajos,  "  when  it  is  in  its  best  condition  to  eat?  " 

"It  would  be  impossible,"  said  the  citizen,  "for 
any  one  to  climb  up  that  tree,  the  trunk  of  which  is  so 
extremely  delicate  and  fragile  that  the  weight  of  a 
man  would  probably  snap  it;  and,  of  course,  a  ladder 
placed  against  it  would  produce  the  same  result. 
Many  attempts  have  been  made  to  secure  this  fruit  at 
the  proper  season,  but  all  of  them  have  failed.  Another 
palm-tree  of  a  more  robust  sort  was  once  planted  near 
this  one  in  the  hope  that  when  it  grew  high  enough, 
men  could  climb  up  the  stronger  tree  and  get  the  fruit 
from  the  other.  But,  although  we  waited  many  years 
the  second  tree  never  attained  sufficient  height,  and  it 
was  cut  down." 

"It  is  a  great  pity,"  gaid  the  Captain;    "but  I 


96  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

suppose  it  cannot  be  helped."  And  then  he  began  to 
make  inquiries  about  the  merchants  in  the  place,  and 
what  probability  there  was  of  his  doing  a  little  trade 
here.  The  Captain  soon  discovered  that  the  cargo  of 
his  ship  was  made  up  of  goods  which  were  greatly 
desired  by  the  citizens  of  this  place  ;  and  for  several 
days  he  was  very  busy  in  selling  the  good  things  to 
eat,  the  swee-t  things  to  smell,  the  fine  things  to  wear, 
and  the  beautiful  things  to  look  at,  with  which  the 
hold  of  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty  "  was  crowded. 

During  this  time  the  First  Class  in  Long  Division 
roamed,  in  delight,  over  the  city.  The  busy  streets, 
the  shops,  the  handsome  buildings,  and  the  queer 
sights  which  they  occasionally  met,  interested  and 
amused  them  greatly.  But  still  the  boys  were  not 
satisfied.  They  had  heard  of  the  Fragile  Palm,  and 
they  made  up  their  minds  to  go  and  have  a  look  at  it. 
Therefore,  taking  a  guide,  they  tramped  out  into  the 
country,  and  in  about  an  hour  they  came  in  sight  of 
the  beautiful  tree  standing  in  the  centre  of  the  plain. 
The  trunk  was,  indeed,  exceedingly  slender,  and,  as 
the  guide  informed  them,  the  wood  was  of  so  very 
brittle  a  nature  that  if  the  tree  had  not  been  protected 
from  the  winds  by  the  high  hills  which  encircled  it, 
it  would  have  been  snapped  off  ages  ago.  Under 
the  broad  tuft  of  leaves  that  formed  its  top,  the  boys 
saw  hanging  large  clusters  of  the  precious  fruit ;  great 
nuts  as  big  as  their  heads. 

"At  what  time  of  the  year,"  asked  the  oldest  boy, 
44  is  that  fruit  just  ripe  enough  to  eat?  " 

"  Now,"  answered  the  guide.     "  This  is  the  season 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  97 

when  it  is  in  the  most  perfect  condition.  In  about  a 
month  it  will  become  entirely  too  ripe  and  soft,  and 
will  drop.  But,  even  then,  the  King  and  all  the  rest 
of  us  are  glad  enough  to  get  a  taste  of  it." 

UI  should  think  the  King  would  be  exceedingly 
eager  to  get  some  of  it,  just  as  it  is,"  said  the  boy. 

tk  Indeed  he  is !  "  replied  the  guide.  "  He  and  his 
father,  and  I  don't  know  how  many  grandfathers  back, 
have  offered  large  rewards  to  any  one  who  would  pro 
cure  them  this  fruit  in  its  best  condition.  But  nobody 
has  ever  beeu  able  to  get  any  yet." 

tkThe  reward  still  holds  good,  I  suppose,"  said  the 
head  boy. 

"  Oh,  yes,"  answered  the  guide  ;  "  there  never  was 
a  King  who  so  much  desired  to  taste  the  fruit  as  our 
present  monarch." 

The  oldest  boy  looked  up  at  the  top  of  the  tree, 
shut  one  eye,  and  gave  his  head  a  little  wag.  Where 
upon  every  boy  in  the  class  looked  up,  shut  one  eye, 
and  slightly  wagged  his  head.  After  which  the  oldest 
boy  said  that  he  thought  it  was  about  time  for  them 
to  go  back  to  the  ship. 

As  soon  as  they  reached  the  vessel,  and  could  talk 
together  freely,  the  boys  had  an  animated  discussion. 
It  was  unanimously  agreed  that  they  would  make  an 
attempt  to  get  some  of  the  precious  fruit  from  the 
Fragile  Palm,  and  the  only  difference  of  opinion  among 
them  was  as  to  how  it  should  be  done  Most  of  them 
were  in  favor  of  some  method  of  climbing  the  tree  and 
trusting  to  its  not  breaking.  But  this  the  oldest  boy 
would  not  listen  to ;  the  trunk  might  snap,  and  then 


98  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

somebody  would  be  hurt,  and  he  felt,  in  a  measure, 
responsible  for  the  rest  of  the  class.  At  length  a 
good  plan  was  proposed  by  a  boy  who  had  studied 
mechanics. 

"What  we  ought  to  do  with  that  tree/*  said  he, 
*'  is  to  put  a  hinge  into  her.  Then  we  could  let  her 
down  gently,  pick  off  the  fruit,  and  set  her  up  again. 

"But  how  are  you  going  to  do  it?"  asked  the 
others. 

"This  is  the  way,"  said  the  boy  who  had  studied 
mechanics.  "You  take  a  saw,  and  then,  about  two 
feet  from  the  ground,  you  begin  and  saw  down  diag 
onally,  for  a  foot  and  a  half,  to  the  centre  of  the 
trunk.  Then  you  go  on  the  other  side,  and  saw  down 
in  the  same  way,  the  two  outs  meeting  each  other. 
Now  you  have  the  upper  part  of  the  trunk  ending  in 
a  wedge,  which  fits  into  a  cleft  in  the  lower  part  of 
the  trunk.  Then,  about  nine  inches  below  the  place 
where  you  first  began  to  saw,  you  bore  a  hole  straight 
through  both  sides  of  the  cleft  and  the  wedge  between 
them.  Then  you  put  an  iron  bolt  through  this  hole, 
and  you  have  your  tree  on  a  hinge,  only  she  wont  be 
apt  to  move  because  she  fits  in  so  snug  and  tight. 
Then  you  get  a  long  rope,  and  put  one  end  in  a  slip 
knot  loosely  around  the  trunk.  Then  you  get  a  lot  of 
poles,  and  tie  them  end  to  end,  and  push  this  slip-knot 
up  until  it  is  somewhere  near  the  top,  when  you  pull 
it  tight.  Then  you  take  another  rope  with  a  slip 
knot,  and  push  this  a  little  more  than  half-way  up  the 
trunk.  By  having  two  ropes,  that  way,  you  prevent 
too  much  strain  coming  on  any  one  part  of  the  trunk. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  99 

Then,  after  that,  you  take  a  mallet  and  chisel  and 
round  off  the  lower  corners  of  the  wedge,  so  that  it 
will  turn  easily  in  the  cleft.  Then  we  take  hold  of  the 
ropes,  let  her  down  gently,  pick  off  the  fruit,  and  haUi 
her  up  again.  That  will  all  be  easy  enough." 

This  plan  delighted  the  boys,  and  they  all  pro 
nounced  in  its  favor;  but  the  oldest  one  suggested 
that  it  would  be  better  to  fasten  the  ropes  to  the  trunk 
before  they  began  to  saw  upon  it,  and  another  boy 
asked  how  they  were  going  to  keep  the  tree  standing 
when  they  hauled  her  up  again. 

"Oh,  that  is  easy,"  said  the  one  who  had  studied 
mechanics ;  "  you  just  bore  another  hole  about  six 
inches  above  the  first  one,  and  put  in  another  bolt. 
Then,  of  course,  she  can't  move." 

This  settled  all  the  difficulties,  and  it  was  agreed  to 
start  out  early  the  next  morning,  gather  the  fruit,  and 
claim  the  reward  the  King  had  offered.  They  accord 
ingly  went  to  the  Captain  and  asked  him  for  a  sharp  saw, 
a  mallet  and  chisel,  an  auger,  two  iron  bolts,  and  two 
very  long  ropes.  These,  having  been  cheerfully  given 
to  them,  were  put  away  in  readiness  for  the  work  to 
be  attempted. 

Very  early  on  the  next  morning,  the  First  Class  in 
Long  Division  set  out  for  the  Fragile  Palm,  carrying 
their  tools  and  ropes.  Few  people  were  awake  as  they 
passed  through  the  city,  and,  without  being  observed, 
they  reached  the  little  plain  on  which  the  tree  stood. 
The  ropes  were  attached  at  the  proper  places,  the  tree 
was  sawn,  diagonally,  according  to  the  plan ;  the  bolt 
was  put  in,  and  the  corners  of  the  wedge  were  rounded 


100  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

off.  Then  the  eldest  boy  produced  a  pound  of  butter, 
whereupon  his  comrades,  who  had  seized  the  ropes, 
paused  in  surprise  and  asked  him  why  he  had  brought 
the  butter. 

"  I  thought  it  well,"  was  the  reply,  "  to  bring  along 
some  butter,  because,  when  the  tree  is  down,  we  can 
grease  the  hinge,  and  then  it  will  not  be  so  hard  to 
pull  it  up  again." 

When  all  was  ready,  eight  of  the  boys  took  hold  oi 
the  long  ropes,  while  another  one  with  a  pole  pushed 
against  the  trunk  of  the  Fragile  Palm.  When  it  began 
to  lean  over  a  little,  he  dropped  his  pole  and  ran  to 
help  the  others  with  the  ropes.  Slowly  the  tree  moved 
on  its  hinge,  descending  at  first  very  gradually  ;  but  it 
soon  began  to  move  with  greater  rapidity,  although 
the  boys  held  it  back  with  all  their  strength  ;  and, 
in  spite  of  their  most  desperate  efforts,  the  top  came  to 
the  ground  at  last  with  a  great  thump.  And  then 
they  all  dropped  their  ropes,  and  ran  for  the  fruit. 
Fortunately  the  great  nuts  incased  in  their  strong 
husks  were  not  in  the  least  injured,  and  the  boys  soon 
pulled  them  off,  about  forty  in  all.  Some  of  the  be  vs 
were  in  favor  of  cracking  open  a  few  of  the  nuts 
and  eating  them,  but  this  the  eldest  boy  positively 
forbade. 

"This  fruit,"  he  said,  "is  looked  upon  as  almost 
sacred,  and  if  we  were  to  eat  airy  of  it,  it  is  probable 
that  we  should  be  put  to  death,  which  would  be  ex 
tremely  awkward  for  fellows  who  have  gone  to  all  the 
trouble  we  have  had.  We  must  set  up  the  tree  and 
carry  the  fruit  to  the  King." 


THE  FRUIT  OF  TUE   FRAGILE  PALM.  HI 

According  to  this  advice,  they  thoroughly  greased  the 
hinge  in  the  tree  with  the  butter,  and  then  set  them 
selves  to  work  to  haul  up  the  trunk.  This,  however, 
was  much  more  difficult  than  letting  it  down  ;  and  they 
had  to  lift  up  the  head  of  it,  and  prop  it  up  on  poles, 
before  they  could  pull  upon  it  with  advantage.  The 
tree,  although  tall,  was  indeed  a  very  slender  one,  with 
a  small  top,  and,  if  it  had  been  as  fragile  as  it  was 
supposed  to  be,  the  boys*  efforts  would  surely  have 
broken  it.  At  last,  after  much  tugging  and  warm 
work,  they  pulled  it  into  an  upright  position,  and  put 
in  the  second  bolt.  They  left  the  ropes  on  the  tree 
because,  as  some  of  them  had  suggested,  the  people 
might  want  to  let  the  tree  down  again  the  next  year. 
It  would  have  been  difficult  for  the  boys  to  carry  in 
their  arms  the  great  pile  of  fruit  they  had  gathered ; 
but,  having  noticed  a  basket-maker's  cottage  on  their 
way  to  the  tree,  two  of  them  were  sent  to  buy  one  of 
his  largest  baskets  or  hampers.  This  was  attached  to 
two  long  poles,  and,  having  been  filled  with  the  nuts, 
the  boys  took  the  poles  on  their  shoulders,  and  marched 
into  the  city. 

On  their  way  to  the  palace  they  attracted  a  great 
crowd,  and  when  they  were  ushered  into  the  presence 
of  the  King,  his  surprise  and  delight  knew  no  bounds. 
At  first  he  could  scarcely  believe  his  eyes ;  but  he  had 
seen  the  fruit  so  often  that  there  could  be  no  mistake 
about  it. 

u  I  shall  not  ask  you,"  he  said  to  the  boys,  "  how 
you  procured  this  fruit,  and  thus  accomplished  a  deed 
which  has  been  the  object  of  the  ambition  of  myself 


103  -GIHiliSTMAS  BEFORE  LAST ,    OR, 

and  my  forefathers.  All  I  ask  is,  did  you  leave  th« 
tree  standing?  " 

"  We  did,"  said  the  boys. 

"  Then  all  that  remains  to  be  done/'  said  His  Maj 
esty,  u  is  to  give  you  the  reward  you  have  so  nobly 
earned.  Treasurer,  measure  out  to  each  of  them  a 
quart  of  gold  coin.  And  pray  be  quick  about  it,  for  I 
am  wild  with  desire  to  have  a  table  spread,  and  one  of 
these  nuts  cracked,  that  I  may  taste  of  its  luscious 
contents." 

The  boys,  however,  appeared  a  little  dissatisfied. 
Huddling  together,  they  consulted  in  a  low  tone,  and 
then  the  eldest  boy  addressed  the  King. 

"May  it  please  your  Majesty,"  he  said  ;  "we  should 
very  much  prefer  to  have  you  give  each  of  us  one  of 
those  nuts  instead  of  a  quart  of  gold." 

The  King  looked  grave.  "This  is  a  much  greater 
reward,"  he  said,  "than  I  had  ever  expected  to  pay; 
but,  since  you  ask  it,  you  must  have  it.  You  have 
done  something  which  none  of  my  subjects  has  ever 
been  able  to  accomplish,  and  it  is  right,  therefore,  that 
you  should  be  fully  satisfied." 

So  he  gave  them  each  a  nut,  with  which  they 
departed  in  triumph  to  the  ship. 

By  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day,  the  Captain  had 
sold  all  his  cargo  at  very  good  prices ;  and  when  the 
money  was  safely  stored  away  in  the  "Horn  o' 
Plenty,"  he  made  ready  to  sail,  for  he  declared  he  had 
really  no  time  to  spare.  "  I  must  now  make  all  possi 
ble  haste,"  he  said  to  old  Baragat,  "to  find  Apple 
Island,  put  these  boys  ashore,  and  then  speed  away  to 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE   FRAGILE  PALM.  101 

the  city  where  lives  my  son.  We  must  not  fail  to  get 
there  in  time  to  spend  last  Christmas  over  again." 

On  the  second  day,  after  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty  "  had 
left  the  Island  of  the  Fragile  Palm,  one  of  the  sailors 
who  happened  to  be  aloft  noticed  a  low,  black,  and  ex 
ceedingly  unpleasant-looking  vessel  rapidly  approach 
ing.  This  soon  proved  to  be  the  ship  of  a  band  of 
corsairs,  who,  having  heard  of  the  large  amount  of 
money  on  the  "Horn  o'  Plenty,"  had  determined  to 
pursue  her  and  capture  the  rich  prize.  All  sails  were 
set  upon  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty,"  but  it  soon  became 
plain  that  she  could  never  outsail  the  corsair  vessel. 

"  What  our  ship  can  do  better  than  any  thing  else," 
said  Baragat  to  the  Captain,  "is  to  stop  short.  Stop 
her  short,  and  let  the  other  one  go  by." 

This  manoeuvre  was  executed,  but,  although  the 
corsair  passed  rapidly  by,  not  being  able  to  stop  so 
suddenly,  it  soon  turned  around  and  came  back,  its 
decks  swarming  with  savage  men  armed  to  the  teeth. 

"They  are  going  to  board  us,"  cried  Baragat. 
"  They  are  getting  out  their  grappling-irons,  and  they 
will  fasten  the  two  ships  together." 

"Let  all  assemble  on  the  quarter-deck,"  said  the 
Captain.  "  It  is  higher  there,  and  we  shall  not  be  so 
much  exposed  to  accidents." 

The  corsair  ship  soon  ran  alongside  the  "  Horn  o' 
Plenty,"  and  in  a  moment  the  two  vessels  were  fas 
tened  together ;  and  then  the  corsairs,  every  man  of 
them,  each  with  cutlass  in  hand  and  a  belt  full  of  dirks 
and  knives,  swarmed  up  the  side  of  the  "  Horn  o* 
Plenty,"  and  sprang  upon  its  central  deck.  Some  of 


104       CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;  OR, 

the  ferocious  fellows,  seeing  the  officers  and  crew  all 
huddled  together  upon  the  quarter-deck,  made  a  move 
ment  in  that  direction.  This  so  frightened  the  chief 
mate  that  he  sprang  down  upon  the  deck  of  the  corsair 
ship.  A  panic  now  arose,  and  he  was  immediately 
followed  by  the  officers  and  crew.  The  boys,  of 
course,  were  not  to  be  left  behind ;  and  the  Captain 
and  Baragat  felt  themselves  bound  not  to  desert  the 
crew,  and  so  they  jumped  also.  None  of  the  corsairs 
interfered  with  this  proceeding,  for  each  one  of  them 
was  anxious  to  find  the  money  at  once.  When  the 
passengers  and  crew  of  the  "Horn  o*  Plenty"  were 
all  on  board  the  corsair  ship,  Baragat  came  to  the 
Captain,  and  said : 

"  If  I  were  you,  sir,  I'd  cast  off  those  grapnels,  and 
separate  the  vessels.  If  we  don't  do  that  those  rascals, 
when  they  have  finished  robbing  our  money-chests, 
will  come  back  here  and  murder  us  all." 

u  That  is  a  good  idea,"  said  Captain  Covajos  ;  and 
he  told  the  chief  mate  to  give  orders  to  cast  off  the 
grapnels,  push  the  two  vessels  apart,  and  set  some  of 
the  sails. 

When  this  had  been  done,  the  corsair  vessel  began 
to  move  away  from  the  other,  and  was  soon  many 
lengths  distant  from  her.  When  the  corsairs  came 
on  deck  and  perceived  what  had  happened,  they  were 
infuriated,  and  immediately  began  to  pursue  their  own 
vessel  with  the  one  they  had  captured.  But  the  "  Horn 
o'  Plenty"  could  not,  by  any  possibility,  sail  as  fast 
as  the  corsair  ship,  and  the  latter  easily  kept  away 
from  her. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  105 

"  Now,  then,"  said  Baragat  to  the  Captain,  "  whai 
you  have  to  do  is  easy  enough.  Sail  straight  for  our 
port  and  those  sea-robbers  will  follow  you ;  for,  of 
course,  they  will  wish  to  get  their  own  vessel  back 
again,  and  will  hope,  by  some  carelessness  on  our 
part,  to  overtake  us.  In  the  mean  time  the  money  will 
be  safe  enough,  for  they  will  have  no  opportunity  of 
spending  it ;  and  when  we  come  to  port,  we  can  take 
some  soldiers  on  board,  and  go  back  and  capture  those 
fellows.  They  can  never  sail  away  from  us  on  the 
4 'Horn  o*  Plenty. " 

"  That  is  an  admirable  plan/'  said  the  Captain, 
u  and  I  shall  carry  it  out ;  but  I  cannot  sail  to  port 
immediately.  I  must  first  find  Apple  Island  and  laud 
these  boys,  whose  parents  and  guardians  are  probably 
growing  very  uneasy.  I  suppose  the  corsairs  will  con 
tinue  to  follow  us  wherever  we  go." 

"I  hope  so,"  said  Baragat;  "at  any  rate  we  shall 
see." 

The  First  Class  in  Long  Division  was  very  much 
delighted  with  the  change  of  vessels,  and  the  boys 
rambled  everywhere,  and  examined  with  great  interest 
all  that  belonged  to  the  corsairs.  They  felt  quite  easy 
about  the  only  treasures  they  possessed,  because,  when 
they  had  first  seen  the  piratical  vessel  approaching, 
they  had  taken  the  precious  nuts  which  had  been  given 
to  them  by  the  King,  and  had  hidden  them  at  the 
bottom  of  some  large  boxes,  in  which  the  Captain 
kept  the  sailors'  winter  clothes. 

"  In  this  warm  climate,"  said  the  eldest  boy, 
"  the  robbers  will  never  meddle  with  those  winter 


106  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

clothes,  and  our  precious  fruit  will  be  perfectly 
safe." 

"If  you  had  taken  my  advice,"  said  one  of  the 
other  boys,  "  we  should  have  eaten  some  of  the  nuts. 
Those,  at  least,  we  should  have  been  sure  of." 

"  And  we  should  have  had  that  many  less  to  show  to 
the  other  classes,"  said  the  eldest  boy.  "Nuts  like 
these,  I  am  told,  if  picked  at  the  proper  season,  will 
keep  for  a  long  time." 

For  some  days  the  corsairs  on  board  the  "  Horn  of 
Plenty "  followed  their  own  vessel,  but  then  they 
seemed  to  despair  of  ever  being  able  to  overtake  it, 
and  steered  in  another  direction.  This  threatened  to 
ruin  all  the  plans  of  Captain  Covajos,  and  his  mind 
became  troubled.  Then  the  boy  who  had  studied 
mechanics  came  forward  and  said  to  the  Captain : 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'd  do,  sir,  if  I  were  you ;  I'd 
follow  your  old  ship,  and  when  night  came  on  I'd  sail 
up  quite  near  to  her,  and  let  some  of  your  sailors  swim 
quietly  over,  and  fasten  a  cable  to  her,  and  then  you 
could  tow  her  after  }TOU  wherever  you  wished  to  go." 

"But  they  might  unfasten  the  cable,  or  cut  it," 
said  Baragat,  who  was  standing  by. 

"That  could  easily  be  prevented,"  said  the  boy. 
' '  At  their  end  of  the  cable  must  be  a  stout  chain 
which  they  cannot  cut,  and  it  must  be  fastened  so  far 
beneath  the  surface  of  the  water  that  they  will  not  be 
able  to  reach  it  to  unfasten  it." 

"A  most  excellent  plan,"  said  Captain  Covajos; 
u  let  it  be  carried  out." 

As  soon  as  it  became  quite  dark,  the  corsair  vessel 


THE  FRUIT  OF  TffK  FRAGILE  PALM.  107 

quietly  approached  the  other,  and  two  stout  sailors 
from  Finland,  who  swam  very  well,  were  ordered  to 
swim  over  and  attach  the  chain-end  of  a  long  cable 
to  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty."  It  was  a  very  difficult 
operation,  for  the  chain  was  heavy,  but  the  men  suc 
ceeded  at  last,  and  returned  to  report. 

"  We  put  the  chain  on,  fast  and  strong  sir,"  they 
said  to  the  Captain  ;  "  and  six  feet  under  water.  But 
the  only  place  we  could  find  to  make  it  fast  to  was  the 
bottom  of  the  rudder." 

44  That  will  do  very  well,"  remarked  Baragat ;  "for 
the  '  Horn  o*  Plenty  '  sails  better  backward  than  for 
ward,  and  will  not  be  so  hard  to  tow." 

For  week  after  week,  and  month  after  month,  Cap 
tain  Covajos,  in  the  corsair  vessel,  sailed  here  and 
there  in  search  of  Apple  Island,  always  towing  after 
him  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty,"  with  the  corsairs  on  board, 
but  never  an  island  with  a  school  on  it  could  they  find  ; 
and  one  day  old  Baragat  came  to  the  Captain  and 
said : 

44  If  I  were  you,  sir,  I'd  sail  no  more  in  these  warm 
regions.  I  am  quite  sure  that  apples  grow  in  colder 
latitudes,  and  are  never  found  so  far  south  as  this." 

44  That  is  a  good  idea,"  said  Captain  Covajos. 
44  We  should  sail  for  the  north  if  we  wished  to  find  an 
island  of  apples.  Have  the  vessel  turned  northward." 

And  so,  for  days  and  weeks,  the  two  vessels  slowly 
moved  on  to  the  north.  One  day  the  Captain  made 
some  observations  and  calculations,  and  then  he  hastily 
•ummoned  Baragat. 

"Do  you  know,"  said  he,  "that  I  find  it  is  no* 


108  CBRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

near  the  end  of  November,  and  I  am  quite  certain  that 
we  shall  not  get  to  the  port  where  my  sou  lives  in  time 
to  celebrate  last  Christmas  again.  It  is  dreadfully 
slow  work,  towing  after  us  the  'Horn  o'  Plenty,'  full 
of  corsairs,  wherever  we  go.  But  we  cannot  cast  her 
off  and  sail  straight  for  our  port,  for  I  should  lose  my 
good  ship,  the  merchants  would  lose  all  their  money, 
and  the  corsairs  would  go  unpunished ;  and,  besides 
all  that,  think  of  the  misery  of  the  parents  and  guard 
ians  of  those  poor  boys.  No ;  I  must  endeavor  to 
find  Apple  Island.  And  if  I  cannot  reach  port  in 
time  to  spend  last  Christinas  with  my  son,  I  shall  cer 
tainly  get  there  in  season  for  Christmas  before  last. 
It  is  true  that  I  sp^nt  that  Christmas  with  my  daughter, 
but  I  cannot  go  on  to  her  now.  I  am  much  nearer  the 
city  where  my  son  lives ;  and,  besides,  it  is  necessary 
to  go  back,  and  give  the  merchants  their  money.  So 
now  we  shall  have  plenty  of  time,  and  need  not  feel 
hurried." 

44  No,"  said  Baragat,  heaving  a  vast  sigh,  "we 
need  not  feel  hurried." 

The  mind  of  the  eldest  boy  now  became  very  much 
troubled,  and  he  called  his  companions  about  him. 
"I  don't  like  at  all,"  said  he,  "  this  sailing  to  the 
north.  It  is  now  November,  and,  although  it  is  warm 
enough  at  this  season  in  the  southern  part  of  the  sea, 
it  will  become  colder  and  colder  as  we  go  on.  The 
consequence  of  this  will  be  that  those  corsairs  will 
want  winter  clothes,  they  will  take  them  out  of  the 
Captain's  chests,  and  they  will  find  our  fruit." 

The  boys  groaned.     "That  is  true,"  said  on*  of 


THE  FRUIT   OF   THE   FRAGILE  PALM.  10* 

them ;  "  but  still  we  wish  to  go  back  to  our 
island." 

"Of  course,"  said  the  eldest  boy,  "it  is  quite 
proper  that  we  should  return  to  Long  Division.  But 
think  of  the  hard  work  we  did  to  get  that  fruit,  and 
think  of  the  quarts  of  gold  we  gave  up  for  it!  It 
would  be  too  bad  to  lose  it  now !  " 

It  was  unanimously  agreed  that  it  would  be  too  bad 
to  lose  the  fruit,  and  it  was  also  unanimously  agreed 
that  they  wished  to  go  back  to  Apple  Island.  But 
what  to  do  about  it,  they  did  not  know. 

Day  by  day  the  weather  grew  colder  and  colder, 
and  the  boys  became  more  and  more  excited  and  dis 
tressed  for  fear  they  should  lose  their  precious  fruit. 
The  eldest  boy  lay  awake  for  several  nights,  and  then 
a  plan  came  into  his  head.  He  went  to  Captain  Cova- 
jos  and  proposed  that  he  should  send  a  flag  of  truce 
over  to  the  corsairs,  offering  to  exchange  winter  cloth 
ing.  He  would  send  over  to  them  the  heavy  garments 
they  had  left  on  their  own  vessel,  and  in  return  would 
take  the  boxes  of  clothes  intended  for  the  winter  wear 
of  his  sailors.  In  this  way,  they  would  get  their  fruit 
back  without  the  corsairs  knowing  any  thing  about  it. 
The  Captain  considered  this  an  excellent  plan,  and 
ordered  the  chief  mate  to  take  a  boat  and  a  flag  of 
truce,  and  go  over  to  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty,"  and  make 
the  proposition.  The  eldest  boy  and  two  of  the  others 
insisted  on  going  also,  in  order  that  there  might  be  no 
mistake  about  the  boxes.  But  when  the  flag-of-truce 
party  reached  the  "  Horn  o'  Plenty  "  they  found  not 
a  corsair  there  !  Every  man  of  them  had  gone.  They 


110  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

had  taken  with  them  all  the  money-chests,  but  to  the 
great  delight  of  the  boys,  the  boxes  of  winter  clothes 
had  not  been  disturbed ;  and  in  them  still  nestled, 
safe  and  sound,  the  precious  nuts  of  the  Fragile 
Palm. 

When  the  matter  had  been  thoroughly  looked  into, 
it  became  quite  evident  what  the  corsairs  had  done. 
There  had  been  only  one  boat  on  board  the  "  Horn  o' 
Plenty,"  and  that  was  the  one  on  which  the  First 
Class  in  Long  Division  had  arrived.  The  night  be 
fore,  the  two  vessels  had  passed  within  a  mile  or  so 
of  a  large  island,  which  the  Captain  had  approached 
in  the  hope  it  was  the  one  they  were  looking  for,  and 
they  passed  it  so  slowly  that  the  corsairs  had  time  to 
ferry  themselves  over,  a  few  at  a  time,  in  the  little 
boat,  taking  with  them  the  money,  —  and  all  without 
discovery. 

Captain  Covajos  was  greatly  depressed  when  he 
heard  of  the  loss  of  all  the  money. 

"  I  shall  have  a  sad  tale  to  tell  my  merchants,"  he 
said,  u  and  Christmas  before  last  will  not  be  celebrated 
so  joyously  as  it  was  the  first  time.  But  we  cannot 
help  what  has  happened,  and  we  all  must  endeavor  to 
bear  our  losses  with  patience.  We  shall  continue  our 
search  for  Apple  Island,  but  I  shall  go  on  board  my 
own  ship,  for  I  have  greatly  missed  my  carpeted  quar 
ter-deck  and  my  other  comforts.  The  chief  mate, 
however,  and  a  majority  of  the  crew  shall  remain  on 
board  the  corsair  vessel,  and  continue  to  tow  us.  The 
•  Horn  o'  Plenty '  sails  better  stern  foremost,  and  we 
shall  go  faster  that  way." 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  Ill 

The  boys  were  overjoyed  at  recovering  their  fruit, 
and  most  of  them  were  in  favor  of  cracking  two  or 
three  of  the  great  nuts,  and  eating  their  contents  in 
honor  of  the  occasion,  but  the  eldest  boy  dissuaded 
them. 

"  The  good  Captain,"  he  said,  "  has  been  very  kind 
in  endeavoring  to  take  us  back  to  our  school,  and  still 
intends  to  keep  up  the  search  for  dear  old  Apple 
Island.  The  least  we  can  do  for  him  is  to  give  him 
this  fruit,  which  is  all  we  have,  and  let  him  do  what  he 
pleases  with  it.  This  is  the  only  way  in  which  we  can 
show  our  gratitude  to  him." 

The  boys  turned  their  backs  on  one  another,  and 
each  of  them  gave  his  eyes  a  little  rub,  but  they  all 
agreed  to  give  the  fruit  to  the  Captain. 

When  the  good  old  man  received  his  present,  he  was 
much  affected.  "I  will  accept  what  you  offer  me," 
he  said  ;  "  for  if  I  did  not,  I  know  your  feelings  would 
be  wounded.  But  you  must  keep  one  of  the  nuts  for 
yourselves.  And,  more  than  that,  if  we  do  not  find 
Apple  Island  in  the  course  of  the  coming  year,  I 
invite  you  all  to  spend  Christmas  before  last  over  again, 
with  me  at  my  son's  house." 

All  that  winter,  the  two  ships  sailed  up  and  down,  and 
here  and  there,  but  never  could  they  find  Apple  Island. 
When  Christmas-time  came,  old  Baragat  went  around 
among  the  boys  and  the  crew,  and  told  them  it  would 
be  well  not  to  say  a  word  on  the  subject  to  the  Captain. 
for  his  feelings  were  very  tender  in  regard  to  spending 
Christmas  away  from  his  families,  and  the  thing  had 
never  happened  before.  So  nobody  made  any  allusion 


112  CHRISTMAS  BEFORE  LAST;    OR, 

to  the  holidays,  and  they  passed  over  as  if  they  had 
been  ordinary  days. 

During  the  spring,  and  all  through  the  summer,  the 
two  ships  kept  up  the  unavailing  search,  but  when 
the  autumn  began,  Captain  Covajos  said  to  old  Bara- 
gat :  4k  I  am  very  sorry,  but  I  feel  that  I  can  no  longer 
look  for  Apple  Island.  I  must  go  back  and  spend 
Christmas  before  last  over  again,  with  my  dearest  son  ; 
and  if  these  poor  boys  never  return  to  their  homes,  I 
am  sure  they  cannot  say  it  was  any  fault  of  mine/' 

44  No,  sir,"  said  Baragat,  "  I  think  you  have  done 
all  that  could  be  expected  of  you." 

So  the  ships  sailed  to  the  city  on  the  west  side  of 
the  sea ;  and  the  Captain  was  received  with  great  joy 
by  his  son,  and  his  grandchildren.  He  went  to  the 
merchants,  and  told  them  how  he  had  lost  all  their 
money.  He  hoped  they  would  be  able  to  bear  their 
misfortune  with  fortitude,  and  begged,  as  he  could 
do  nothing  else  for  them,  that  they  would  accept  the 
eight  great  nuts  from  the  Fragile  Palm  that  the  boys 
had  given  him.  To  his  surprise  the  merchants  became 
wild  with  delight  when  they  received  the  nuts.  The 
money  they  had  lost  was  as  nothing,  they  said,  com 
pared  to  the  value  of  this  incomparable  and  precious 
fruit,  picked  in  its  prime,  and  still  in  a  perfect  condition. 

It  had  been  many,  many  generations  since  this  rare 
fruit,  the  value  of  which  was  like  unto  that  of  diamonds 
and  pearls,  had  been  for  sale  in  any  market  in  the 
world ;  and  kings  and  queens  in  many  countries  were 
ready  to  give  for  it  almost  any  price  that  might  be 
asked. 


THE  FRUIT  OF  THE  FRAGILE  PALM.  113 

When  the  good  old  Captain  heard  this  he  was  greatly 
rejoiced,  and,  as  the  holidays  were  now  near,  he  in 
sisted  that  the  boys  should  spend  Christmas  before  last 
over  again,  at  his  son's  house.  He  found  that  a  good 
many  people  here  knew  where  Apple  Island  was,  and 
he  made  arrangements  for  the  First  Class  in  Long 
Division  to  return  to  that  island  in  a  vessel  which  was 
to  sail  about  the  first  of  the  year. 

The  boys  still  possessed  the  great  nut  which  the 
Captain  had  insisted  they  should  keep  for  themselves, 
and  he  now  told  them  that  if  they  chose  to  sell  it, 
they  would  each  have  a  nice  little  fortune  to  take  back 
with  them.  The  eldest  boy  consulted  the  others,  and 
then  he  said  to  the  Captain : 

"  Our  class  has  gone  through  a  good  many  hardships, 
and  has  had  a  lot  of  trouble  with  that  palm-tree  and 
other  things,  and  we  think  we  ought  to  be  rewarded. 
So,  if  it  is  all  the  same  to  you,  I  think  we  will  crack 
the  nut  on  Christmas  Day  and  we  all  will  eat  it." 

"I  never  imagined,"  cried  Captain  Covajos,  as  he 
sat,  on  that  Christmas  Day,  surrounded  by  his  son's 
family  and  the  First  Class  in  Long  Division,  the  eyes 
of  the  whole  party  sparkling  with  ecstasy  as  they  tasted 
the  peerless  fruit  of  the  Fragile  Palm,  "  that  Christ 
mas  before  last  could  be  »o  joyfully  celebrated  over 
again." 


PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 


IN  the  spring  of  a  certain  year,  long  since  passed 
away,  Prince  Hassak,  of  Itoby,  determined  to  visit 
his  uncle,  the  King  of  Yan. 

"  Whenever  my  uncle  visited  us,*'  said  the  Prince, 
"  or  when  my  late  father  went  to  see  him,  the  journey 
was  always  made  by  sea ;  and,  in  order  to  do  this,  it 
was  necessary  to  go  in  a  very  roundabout  way  between 
Itoby  and  Yau.  Now,  I  shall  do  nothing  of  this  kind. 
It  is  beneath  the  dignity  of  a  prince  to  go  out  of  his 
way  on  account  of  capes,  peninsulas,  and  promonto 
ries.  I  shall  march  from  my  palace  to  that  of  my 
uncle  in  a  straight  line.  I  shall  go  across  the  country, 
and  no  obstacle  shall  cause  me  to  deviate  from  my 
course.  Mountains  and  hills  shall  be  tunnelled,  rivers 
shall  be  bridged,  houses  shall  be  levelled  ;  a  road  shall 
be  cut  through  forests ;  and,  when  I  have  finished  my 
march,  the  course  over  which  I  have  passed  shall  be  a 
mathematically  straight  line.  Thus  will  I  show  to  the 
world  that,  when  a  prince  desires  to  travel,  it  is  not 
necessary  for  him  to  go  out  of  his  way  on  account  of 
obstacles." 

As  soon  as  possible  after  the  Prince  had  determined 

114 


PRINCE  HASSAK 'S  MARCH.  115 

upon  this  march,  he  made  his  preparations,  and  set 
out.  He  took  with  him  a  few  courtiers,  and  a  large 
body  of  miners,  rock-splitters,  bridge-builders,  and 
workmen  of  that  class,  whose  services  would,  very 
probably,  be  needed.  Besides  these,  he  had  an  officer 
whose  duty  it  was  to  point  out  the  direct  course  to  be 
taken,  and  another  who  was  to  draw  a  map  of  the 
march,  showing  the  towns,  mountains,  and  the  various 
places  it  passed  through.  There  were  no  compasses 
in  those  days,  but  the  course-marker  had  an  instrument 
which  he  would  set  in  a  proper  direction  by  means  of 
the  stars,  and  then  he  could  march  by  it  all  day.  Be 
sides  these  persons,  Prince  Hassak  selected  from  the 
schools  of  his  city  five  boys  and  five  girls,  and  took 
them  with  him.  He  wished  to  show  them  how,  when  a 
thing  was  to  be  done,  the  best  way  was  to  go  straight 
ahead  and  do  it,  turning  aside  for  nothing. 

"  When  they  grow  up  they  will  teach  these  things  to 
their  children,"  said  he  ;  "  and  thus  I  shall  instil  good 
principles  into  my  people.'* 

The  first  day  Prince  Hassak  and  his  party  marched 
over  a  level  country,  with  no  further  trouble  than  that 
occasioned  by  the  tearing  down  of  fences  and  walls, 
and  the  destruction  of  a  few  cottages  and  barns. 
After  encamping  for  the  night,  they  set  out  the  next 
morning,  but  had  not  marched  many  miles  before  they 
came  to  a  rocky  hill,  on  the  top  of  which  was  a  hand 
some  house,  inhabited  by  a  Jolly-cum-pop. 

"  Your  Highness,"  said  the  course-marker,  "in  order 
to  go  in  a  direct  line  we  must  make  a  tunnel  through 
this  hill,  immediately  under  the  house.  This  may 


116  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

cause  the  building  to  fall  in,  but  the  rubbish  can  be 
easily  removed/' 

44  Let  the  men  go  to  work,"  said  the  Prince.  "I 
will  dismount  from  my  horse,  and  watch  the  pro 
ceedings." 

When  the  Jolly-cum-pop  saw  the  party  halt  before 
his  house,  he  hurried  out  to  pay  his  respect  to  the 
Prince.  When  he  was  informed  of  what  was  to  be 
done,  the  Jolly-cum-pop  could  not  refrain  from  laugh 
ing  aloud. 

"  I  never  heard,"  he  said,  "  of  such  a  capital  idea. 
It  is  so  odd  and  original.  It  will  be  very  funny,  I  am 
sure,  to  see  a  tunnel  cut  right  under  my  house." 

The  miners  and  rock-splitters  now  began  to  work  at 
the  base  of  the  hill,  and  then  the  Jolly-cum-pop  made 
a  proposition  to  the  Prince. 

"It  will  take  your  men  some  time,"  he  said,  "to 
cut  this  tunnel,  and  it  is  a  pity  your  Highness  should 
not  be  amused  in  the  meanwhile.  It  is  a  fine  day : 
suppose  we  go  into  the  forest  and  hunt." 

This  suited  the  Prince  very  well,  for  he  did  not  care 
about  sitting  under  a  tree  and  watching  his  workmen, 
and  the  Jolly-cum-pop  having  sent  for  his  horse  and 
some  bows  and  arrows,  the  whole  party,  with  the 
exception  of  the  laborers,  rode  toward  the  forest,  a 
short  distance  away. 

"  What  shall  we  find  to  hunt?  "  asked  the  Prince  of 
the  Jolly-cum-pop. 

"  I  really  do  not  know,"  exclaimed  the  latter,  "  but 
we'll  hunt  whatever  we  happen  to  see  —  deer,  small 
birds,  rabbits,  griffins,  rhinoceroses,  any  thing  that 


PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH.  117 

2omes  along.  I  feel  as  gay  as  a  skipping  grasshopper. 
My  spirits  rise  like  a  soaring  bird.  What  a  joyful 
thing  it  is  to  have  such  a  hunt  on  such  a  glorious 
day!" 

The  gay  and  happy  spirits  of  the  Jolly-cum-pop 
affected  the  whole  party,  and  they  rode  merrily  through 
the  forest ;  but  they  found  no  game  ;  and,  after  an 
hour  or  two,  they  emerged  into  the  open  country  again. 
At  a  distance,  on  a  slight  elevation,  stood  a  large  and 
massive  building. 

44 1  am  hungry  and  thirsty,"  said  the  Prince,  "  and 
perhaps  we  can  get  some  refreshments  at  yonder  house. 
So  far,  this  has  not  been  a  very  fine  hunt." 

44  No,"  cried  the  Jolly-cum-pop,  "not  yet.  But 
what  a  joyful  thing  to  see  a  hospitable  mansion  just  at 
the  moment  when  we  begin  to  feel  a  little  tired  and 
hungry  !  ' ' 

The  building  they  were  approaching  belonged  to  a 
Potentate,  who  lived  at  a  great  distance.  In  some  of 
his  travels  he  had  seen  this  massive  house,  and  thought 
it  would  make  a  good  prison.  He  accordingly  bought  it, 
fitted  it  up  as  a  jail,  and  appointed  a  jailer  and  three 
myrmidons  to  take  charge  of  it.  This  had  occurred 
years  before,  but  no  prisoners  had  ever  been  sent  to 
this  jail.  A  few  days  preceding  the  Jolly-cum-pop's 
hunt,  the  Potentate  had  journeyed  this  way  and  had 
stopped  at  his  jail.  After  inquiring  into  its  condition, 
he  had  said  to  the  jailer : 

44  It  is  now  fourteen  years  since  I  appointed  you  to 
this  place,  and  in  all  that  time  there  have  been  no 
prisoners,  and  you  and  your  men  have  been  drawing 


118  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

your  wages  without  doing  any  thing.  I  shall  return 
this  way  in  a  few  days,  and  if  I  still  find  you  idle  I 
shall  discharge  you  all  and  close  the  jail." 

This  filled  the  jailer  with  great  dismay,  for  he  did 
not  wish  to  lose  his  good  situation.  When  he  saw  the 
Prince  and  his  party  approaching,  the  thought  struck 
him  that  perhaps  he  might  make  prisoners  of  them, 
and  so  not  be  found  idle  when  the  Potentate  returned. 
He  came  out  to  meet  the  hunters,  and  when  they  asked 
if  they  could  here  find  refreshment,  he  gave  them  a 
most  cordial  welcome.  His  men  took  their  horses, 
and,  inviting  them  to  enter,  he  showed  each  member 
of  the  party  into  a  small  bedroom,  of  which  there 
seemed  to  be  a  great  many. 

"  Here  are  water  and  towels,"  he  said  to  each  one, 
4 'and  when  you  have  washed  your  face  and  hands, 
your  refreshments  will  be  ready."  Then,  going  out, 
he  locked  the  door  on  the  outside. 

The  party  numbered  seventeen :  the  Prince,  three 
courtiers,  five  boys,  five  girls,  the  course-marker,  the 
map-maker,  and  the  Jolly-cum-pop.  The  heart  of  the 
jailer  was  joyful ;  seventeen  inmates  was  something  to 
be  proud  of.  He  ordered  his  myrmidons  to  give  the 
prisoners  a  meal  of  bread  and  water  through  the  holes 
in  their  cell-doors,  and  then  he  sat  down  to  make  out 
his  report  to  the  Potentate. 

"They  must  all  be  guilty  of  crimes,"  he  said  to 
himself,  "  which  are  punished  by  long  imprisonment. 
I  don't  want  any  of  them  executed." 

So  he  numbered  his  prisoners  from  one  to  seventeen, 
according  to  the  cell  each  happened  to  be  in,  and  he 


PRINCE  ffASSAK'S  MARCH.  119 

wrote  a  crime  opposite  each  number.  The  first  was 
highway  robbery,  the  next  forgery,  and  after  that 
followed  treason,  smuggling,  barn-burning,  bribery, 
poaching,  usury,  piracy,  witchcraft,  assault  and  bat 
tery,  using  false  weights  and  measures,  burglary, 
counterfeiting,  robbing  hen-roosts,  conspiracy,  and 
poisoning  his  grandmother  by  proxy. 

This  report  was  scarcely  finished  when  the  Potentate 
returned.  He  was  very  much  surprised  to  find  that 
seventeen  prisoners  had  come  in  since  his  previous 
visit,  and  he  read  the  report  with  interest. 

"  Here  is  one  who  ought  to  be  executed,"  he  said, 
referring  to  Number  Seventeen.  "And  how  did  he 
poison  his  grandmother  by  proxy  ?  Did  he  get  another 
woman  to  be  poisoned  in  her  stead  ?  Or  did  he  employ 
some  one  to  act  in  his  place  as  the  poisoner?  " 

44 1  have  not  yet  been  fully  informed,  my  lord,"  said 
the  jailer,  fearful  that  he  should  lose  a  prisoner ; 
44  but  this  is  his  first  offence,  and  his  grandmother,  who 
did  not  die,  has  testified  to  his  general  good  char 
acter." 

44  Very  well,"  said  the  Potentate;  44  but  if  he  ever 
does  it  again,  let  him  be  executed  ;  and,  by  the  way,  I 
should  like  to  see  the  prisoners." 

Thereupon  the  jailer  conducted  the  Potentate  along 
the  corridors,  and  let  him  look  through  the  holes  in  the 
doors  at  the  prisoners  within. 

44  What  is  this  little  girl  in  for?  "  he  asked. 

The  jailer  looked  at  the  number  over  the  door,  and 
then  at  his  report. 

44  Piracy,"  he  answered. 


120  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

"A  strange  offence  for  such  a  child,"  said  the 
Potentate. 

"  They  often  begin  that  sort  of  thing  very  early  in 
life,"  said  the  jailer. 

"And  this  fine  gentleman,"  said  the  Potentate, 
looking  in  at  the  Prince,  "  what  did  he  do?  " 

The  jailer  glanced  at  the  number,  and  the  report. 

"  Robbed  hen-roosts,"  he  said. 

"  He  must  have  done  a  good  deal  of  it  to  afford  to 
dress  so  well,"  said  the  Potentate,  passing  on,  and 
looking  into  other  cells.  "  It  seems  to  me  that  many 
of  your  prisoners  are  very  young." 

44  It  is  best  to  take  them  young,  my  lord,"  said  the 
jailer.  "  They  are  very  hard  to  catch  when  they  grow 
up." 

The  Potentate  then  looked  in  at  the  Jolly-cum-pop, 
and  asked  what  was  his  offence. 

"  Conspiracy,"  was  the  answer. 

"  And  where  are  the  other  conspirators?  " 

"  There  was  only  one,"  said  the  jailer. 

Number  Seventeen  was  the  oldest  of  the  courtiers. 

' '  He  appears  to  be  an  elderly  man  to  have  a  grand 
mother,"  said  the  Potentate.  "She  must  be  very 
aged,  and  that  makes  it  all  the  worse  for  him.  I 
think  he  should  be  executed." 

"Oh,  no,  my  lord,"  cried  the  jailor.  "I  am  as 
sured  that  his  crime  was  quite  unintentional." 

"  Then  he  should  be  set  free,"  said  the  Potentate. 

"  I  mean  to  say,"  said  the  jailer,  "  that  it  was  just 
enough  intentional  to  cause  him  to  be  imprisoned  here 
fora  long  time,  but  not  enough  to  deserve  execution." 


PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH.  121 

44  Very  well,"  said  the  Potentate,  turning  to  leave; 
44  take  good  care  of  your  prisoners,  and  send  me  a 
report  every  month." 

44  That  will  I  do,  my  lord,"  said  the  jailer,  bowing 
very  low. 

The  Prince  and  his  party  had  been  very  much  sur 
prised  and  incensed  when  they  found  that  they  could 
not  get  out  of  their  rooms,  and  they  had  kicked  and 
banged  and  shouted  until  they  were  tired,  but  the 
jailer  had  informed  them  that  they  were  to  be  confined 
there  for  years ;  and  when  the  Potentate  arrived  they 
had  resigned  themselves  to  despair.  The  Jolly-cum- 
pop,  however,  was  affected  in  a  different  way.  It 
seemed  to  him  the  most  amusiug  joke  in  the  world  that 
a  person  should  deliberately  walk  into  a  prison-cell 
and  be  locked  up  for  several  years ;  and  he  lay  down 
on  his  little  bed  and  laughed  himself  to  sleep. 

That  night  one  of  the  boys  sat  at  his  iron-barred 
window,  wide  awake.  He  was  a  Truant,  and  haa 
never  yet  been  in  any  place  from  which  he  could  not 
run  away.  He  felt  that  his  school-fellows  depended 
upon  him  to  run  away  and  bring  them  assistance,  and 
he  knew  that  his  reputation  as  a  Truant  was  at  stake. 
His  responsibility  was  so  heavy  that  he  could  not  sleep, 
and  he  sat  at  the  window,  trying  to  think  of  a  way  to 
get  out.  After  some  hours  the  moon  arose,  and  by  its 
light  he  saw  upon  the  grass,  not  far  from  his  window, 
a  number  of  little  creatures,  which  at  first  he  took  for 
birds  or  small  squirrels ;  but  on  looking  more  atten 
tively  he  perceived  that  they  were  pigwidgeons.  They 
were  standing  around  a  flat  stone,  and  seemed  to  be 


122  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

making  calculations  on  it  with  a  piece  of  chalk.  At 
this  sight,  the  heart  of  the  Truant  jumped  for  joy. 
44  Pig  widgeons  can  do  any  thing/*  he  said  to  himself, 
44  and  these  certainly  can  get  us  out.*'  He  now  tried 
in  various  ways  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  pigwid- 
geons ;  but  as  he  was  afraid  to  call  or  whistle  very 
loud,  for  fear  of  arousing  the  jailor,  he  did  not  succeed. 
Happily,  he  thought  of  a  pea-shooter  which  he  had  in 
his  pocket,  and  taking  this  out  he  blew  a  pea  into  the 
midst  of  the  little  group  with  such  force  that  it  knocked 
the  chalk  from  the  hand  of  the  pigwidgeon  who  was 
using  it.  The  little  fellows  looked  up  in  astonishment, 
and  perceived  the  Truant  beckoning  to  them  from  his 
window.  At  first  they  stood  angrily  regarding  him ; 
but  on  his  urging  them  in  a  loud  whisper  to  come  to 
his  relief,  they  approached  the  prison  and,  clambering 
up  a  vine,  soon  reached  his  window-sill.  The  Truant 
now  told  his  mournful  tale,  to  which  the  pigwidgeons 
listened  very  attentively ;  and  then,  after  a  little  con 
sultation  among  themselves,  one  of  them  said:  44  We 
will  get  you  out  if  you  will  tell  us  how  to  divide  five- 
sevenths  by  six." 

The  poor  Truant  was  silent  for  an  instant,  and  then 
he  said:  "  That  is  not  the  kind  of  thing  I  am  good 
at,  but  I  expect  some  of  the  other  fellows  could  tell 
you  easily  enough.  Our  windows  must  be  all  in  a  row, 
and  3rou  can  climb  up  and  ask  some  of  them ;  and  if 
any  one  tells  you,  will  you  get  us  all  out?  " 

44  Yes,"  said  the  pigwidgeon  who  had  spoken  before. 
44  We  will  do  that,  for  we  are  very  anxious  to  know 
how  to  divide  five-sevenths  by  six.  We  have  been 


PRINCE  HAS9AK'S  MARCH.  123 

working  at  it  for  four  or  five  days,  and  there  wont  be 
any  thing  worth  dividing  if  we  wait  much  longer." 

The  pigwidgeons  now  began  to  descend  the  vine ; 
but  one  of  them  lingering  a  little,  the  Truant,  who  had 
a  great  deal  of  curiosity,  asked  him  what  it  was  they 
had  to  divide. 

44  There  were  eight  of  us,"  the  pigwidgeon  answered, 
"  who  helped  a  farmer's  wife,  and  she  gave  us  a  pound 
of  butter.  She  did  not  count  us  properly,  and  divided 
the  butter  into  seven  parts.  We  did  not  notice  this 
at  first,  and  two  of  the  party,  who  were  obliged  to  go 
away  to  a  distance,  took  their  portions  and  departed, 
and  now  we  can  not  divide  among  six  the  five-sevenths 
that  remain." 

"That  is  a  pretty  hard  thing,"  said  the  Truant, 
"  but  I  am  sure  some  of  the  boys  can  tell  you  how  to 
doit." 

The  pigwidgeons  visited  the  next  four  cells,  which 
were  occupied  by  four  boys,  but  not  one  of  them 
could  tell  how  to  divide  five-sevenths  by  six.  The 
Prince  was  questioned,  but  he  did  not  know ;  and 
neither  did  the  course-marker,  nor  the  map-maker.  It 
was  not  until  they  came  to  the  cell  of  the  oldest  girl 
that  they  received  an  answer.  She  was  good  at  mental 
arithmetic ;  and,  after  a  minute's  thought,  she  said, 
"It  would  be  five  forty-seconds." 

"  Good  !  "  cried  the  pigwidgeons.  "  We  will  divide 
the  butter  into  forty-two  parts,  and  each  take  five. 
And  now  let  us  go  to  work  and  cut  these  bars." 

Three  of  the  six  pigwidgeons  were  workers  in  iron, 
and  they  had  their  little  files  and  saws  in  pouches  by 


124  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

their  sides.  They  went  to  work  manfully,  and  the 
others  helped  them,  and  before  morning  one  bar  was 
cut  in  each  of  the  seventeen  windows.  The  cells  were 
all  on  the  ground  floor,  and  it  was  quite  easy  for  the 
prisoners  to  clamber  out.  That  is,  it  was  easy  for  all 
but  the  Jolly-cum-pop.  He  had  laughed  so  much  in 
his  life  that  he  had  grown  quite  fat,  and  he  found  it 
impossible  to  squeeze  himself  through  the  opening 
made  by  the  removal  of  one  iron  bar.  The  sixteen 
other  prisoners  had  all  departed ;  the  pigwidgeons  had 
hurried  away  to  divide  their  butter  into  forty-two  parts, 
and  the  Jolly-cum-pop  still  remained  in  his  cell,  con 
vulsed  with  laughter  at  the  idea  of  being  caught  in 
such  a  curious  predicament. 

"It  is  the  most  ridiculous  thing  in  the  world/'  he 
said.  "I  suppose  I  must  stay  here  and  cry  until  I 
get  thin."  And  the  idea  so  tickled  him,  that  he 
laughed  himself  to  sleep. 

The  Prince  and  his  party  kept  together,  and  hurried 
from  the  prison  as  fast  as  they  could.  When  the  day 
broke  they  had  gone  several  miles,  and  then  they 
stopped  to  rest.  "Where  is  that  Jolly-cum-pop?" 
said  the  Prince.  "  I  suppose  he  has  gone  home.  He 
is  a  pretty  fellow  to  lead  us  into  this  trouble  and  then 
desert  us !  How  are  we  to  find  the  way  back  to  his 
house  ?  Course-marker,  can  you  tell  us  the  direction  in 
which  we  should  go?  " 

"  Not  until  to-night,  your  Highness,"  answered  the 
course-marker,  "when  I  can  set  my  instrument  by 
the  stars." 

The   Prince's  party  was   now  in   a   doleful   plight. 


PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH.  125 

Every  one  was  very  hungry ;  they  were  in  an  open 
plain,  no  house  was  visible,  and  they  knew  not  which 
way  to  go.  They  wandered  about  for  some  time, 
looking  for  a  brook  or  a  spring  where  they  might 
quench  their  thirst ;  and  then  a  rabbit  sprang  out  from 
some  bushes.  The  whole  party  immediately  started 
off  in  pursuit  of  the  rabbit.  They  chased  it  here, 
there,  backward  and  forward,  through  hollows  and 
over  hills,  until  it  ran  quite  away  and  disappeared. 
Then  they  were  more  tired,  thirsty,  and  hungry  than 
before  ;  and,  to  add  to  their  miseries,  when  night  came 
on  the  sky  was  cloudy,  and  the  course-marker  could 
not  set  his  instrument  by  the  stars.  It  would  be 
difficult  to  find  sixteen  more  miserable  people  than 
the  Prince  and  his  companions  when  they  awoke  the 
next  morning  from  their  troubled  sleep  on  the  hard 
ground.  Nearly  starved,  they  gazed  at  one  another 
with  feelings  of  despair. 

"I  feel,"  said  the  Prince,  in  a  weak  voice,  "that 
there  is  nothing  I  would  not  do  to  obtain  food.  I 
would  willingly  become  a  slave  if  my  master  would 
give  me  a  good  breakfast." 

"  So  would  I,"  ejaculated  each  of  the  others. 

About  an  hour  after  this,  as  they  were  all  sitting 
disconsolately  upon  the  ground,  they  saw,  slowly  ap 
proaching,  a  large  cart  drawn  by  a  pair  of  oxen.  On 
the  front  of  the  cart,  which  seemed  to  be  heavily 
loaded,  sat  a  man,  with  a  red  beard,  reading  a  book. 
The  boys,  when  they  saw  the  cart,  set  up  a  feeble 
shout,  and  the  man,  lifting  his  eyes  from  his  book, 
drove  directly  toward  the  group  on  the  ground.  Dis- 


126  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

mounting,  he  approached  Prince  Hassak,  who  imme 
diate^  told  him  his  troubles  and  implored  relief.  ' '  We 
will  do  any  thing,"  said  the  Prince,  "  to  obtain  food." 

Standing  for  a  minute  in  a  reflective  mood,  the  man 
with  the  red  beard  addressed  the  Prince  in  a  slow, 
meditative  manner :  "  How  would  you  like,"  he  said, 
"  to  form  a  nucleus?  " 

"  Can  we  get  any  thing  to  eat  by  it?  "  eagerly  asked 
the  Prince. 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  man,  "  you  can." 

" We'll  do  it!"  immediately  cried  the  whole  six 
teen,  without  waiting  for  further  information. 

"  Which  will  you  do  first,"  said  the  man,  "  listen  to 
my  explanations,  or  eat?" 

"  Eat !  "  cried  the  entire  sixteen  in  chorus. 

The  man  now  produced  from  his  cart  a  quantity  of 
bread,  meat,  wine,  and  other  provisions,  which  he  dis 
tributed  generously,  but  judiciously*  to  the  hungry 
Prince  and  his  followers.  Every  one  had  enough,  but 
no  one  too  much.  And  soon,  revived  and  strength 
ened,  they  felt  like  new  beings. 

"  Now,"  said  the  Prince,  "  we  are  ready  to  form  a 
nucleus,  as  we  promised.  How  is  it  done?  " 

"  I  will  explain  the  matter  to  you  in  a  few  words," 
said  the  man  with  the  red  beard.  "  For  a  long  time  I 
have  been  desirous  to  found  a  city.  In  order  to  do 
this  one  must  begin  by  forming  a  nucleus.  Every 
great  city  is  started  from  a  nucleus.  A  few  persons 
settle  down  in  some  particular  spot,  and  live  there. 
Then  they  are  a  nucleus.  Then  other  people  come 
there,  and  gather  around  this  nucleus,  and  then  more 


PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH.  127 

people  come  and  more,  until  in  course  of  time  there 
is  a  great  city.  I  have  loaded  this  cart  with  pro 
visions,  tools,  and  other  things  that  are  necessary  for 
my  purpose,  and  have  set  out  to  find  some  people  who 
would  be  willing  to  form  a  nucleus.  I  am  very  glad 
to  have  found  you  and  that  you  are  willing  to  enter 
into  my  plan ;  and  this  seems  a  good  spot  for  us  to 
settle  upon." 

44 What  is  the  first  thing  to  be  done?"  said  the- 
Prince. 

44  We  must  all  go  to  work,"  said  the  man  with  the 
red  beard,  44  to  build  dwellings,  and  also  a  school-house 
for  these  young  people.  Then  we  must  till  some 
ground  in  the  suburbs,  and  lay  the  foundations,  at 
least,  of  a  few  public  buildings." 

44  All  this  will  take  a  good  while,  will  it  not?  "  said 
the  Prince. 

44  Yes,"  said  the  man,  "  it  will  take  a  good  while; 
and  the  sooner  we  set  about  it,  the  better." 

Thereupon  tools  were  distributed  among  the  party, 
and  Prince,  courtiers,  boys,  girls,  and  all  went  to  work 
to  build  houses  and  form  the  nucleus  of  a  city. 

When  the  jailer  looked  into  his  cells  in  the  morning, 
and  found  that  all  but  one  of  his  prisoners  had  escaped, 
he  was  utterly  astounded,  and  his  face,  when  the  Jolly- 
cum-pop  saw  him,  made  that  individual  roar  with 
laughter.  The  jailer,  however,  was  a  man  accus 
tomed  to  deal  with  emergencies.  44  You  need  not 
laugh,"  he  said,  4l  every  thing  shall  go  on  as  before, 
and  I  shall  take  no  notice  of  the  absence  of  your  com 
panions.  You  are  now  numbered  One  to  Sevente**" 


128  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

inclusive,  and  you  stand  charged  with  highway  rob 
bery,  forgery,  treason,  smuggling,  barn-burning,  bri 
bery,  poaching,  usury,  piracy,  witchcraft,  assault  and 
battery,  using  false  weights  and  measures,  burglary, 
counterfeiting,  robbing  hen-roosts,  conspiracy,  and 
poisoning  your  grandmother  by  proxy.  I  intended 
to-day  to  dress  the  convicts  in  prison  garb,  and  you 
shall  immediately  be  so  clothed." 

"I  shall  require  seventeen  suits,"  said  the  Jolly- 
cum-pop. 

"  Yes,"  said  the  jailer,  "  they  shall  be  furnished." 

"  And  seventeen  rations  a  day,"  said  the  Jolly-cum- 
pop. 

"  Certainly,"  replied  the  jailer. 

4  *  This  is  luxury,"  roared  the  Jolly-cum-pop.  "I 
shall  spend  my  whole  time  in  eating  and  putting  on 
clean  clothes." 

Seventeen  large  prison  suits  were  now  brought  to 
the  Jolly-cum-pop.  He  put  one  on,  and  hung  up  the 
rest  in  his  cell.  These  suits  were  half  bright  yellow 
and  half  bright  green,  with  spots  of  bright  red,  as  big 
as  saucers. 

The  jailer  now  had  doors  cut  from  one  cell  to 
another.  "  If  the  Potentate  comes  here  and  wants 
to  look  at  the  prisoners,"  he  said  to  the  Jolly-cum- 
pop,  "you  must  appear  in  cell  number  One,  so  that 
he  can  look  through  the  hole  in  the  door,  and  see  you ; 
then,  as  he  walks  along  the  corridor,  you  must  walk 
through  the  cells,  and  whenever  he  looks  into  a  cell, 
you  must  be  there." 

"  He  will  think,"  merrily  replied  the  Jolly-cum-pop, 


PRINCE  HASSAK'8  MARCH.  129 

**  that  all  your  prisoners  are  very  fat,  and  that  the 
little  girls  have  grown  up  into  big  men." 

"  I  will  endeavor  to  explain  that,"  said  the  jailer. 

For  several  days  the  Jolly-cum-pop  was  highly 
amused  at  the  idea  of  his  being  seventeen  criminals, 
and  he  would  sit  first  in  one  cell  and  then  in  another, 
trying  to  look  like  a  ferocious  pirate,  a  hard-hearted 
usurer,  or  a  mean-spirited  chicken  thief,  and  laughing 
heartily  at  his  failures.  But,  after  a  time,  he  began 
to  tire  of  this,  and  to  have  a  strong  desire  to  see  what 
sort  of  a  tunnel  the  Prince's  miners  and  rock-splitters 
were  making  under  his  house.  "  I  had  hoped,"  he 
said  to  himself,  "  that  I  should  pine  away  in  confine 
ment,  and  so  be  able  to  get  through  the  window-bars ; 
but  with  nothing  to  do,  and  seventeen  rations  a  day,  I 
see  no  chance  of  that.  But  I  must  get  out  of  this  jail, 
and,  as  there  seems  no  other  way,  I  will  revolt." 
Thereupon  he  shouted  to  the  jailer  through  the  hole 
in  the  door  of  his  cell:  "We  have  revolted!  We 
have  risen  in  a  body,  and  have  determined  to  resist 
your  authority,  and  break  jail !  " 

When  the  jailer  heard  this,  he  was  greatly  troubled. 
"Do  not  proceed  to  violence,"  he  said;  "let  us 
parley." 

"Very  well,"  replied  the  Jolly-cum-pop,  "but  you 
must  open  the  cell  door.  We  cannot  parley  through 
a  hole." 

The  jailer  thereupon  opened  the  cell  door,  and  the 
Jolly-cum-pop,  having  wrapped  sixteen  suits  of  clothes 
around  his  left  arm  as  a  shield,  and  holding  in  his 
right  hand  the  iron  bar  which  had  been  cut  from 


130  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

his  window,  stepped  boldly  into  the  corridor,  and  con 
fronted  the  jailer  and  his  myrmidons. 

"It  will  be  useless  for  you  to  resist,"  he  said. 
"You  are  but  four,  and  we  are  seventeen.  If  you 
had  been  wise  you  would  have  made  us  all  cheating 
shop-keepers,  chicken  thieves,  or  usurers.  Then  you 
might  have  been  able  to  control  us ;  but  when  you  see 
before  you  a  desperate  highwayman,  a  daring  smug 
gler,  a  blood-thirsty  pirate,  a  wily  poacher,  a  powerful 
ruffian,  a  reckless  burglar,  a  bold  conspirator,  and  a 
murderer  by  proxy,  you  well  may  tremble !  " 

The  jailer  and  his  myrmidons  looked  at  each  other 
in  dismay. 

"  We  sigh  for  no  blood,"  continued  the  Jolly-cum- 
pop,  "  and  will  readily  agree  to  terms.  We  will  give 
you  your  choice  :  Will  you  allow  us  to  honorably  sur 
render,  and  peacefully  disperse  to  our  homes,  or  shall 
we  rush  upon  you  in  a  body,  and,  after  overpowering 
you  by  numbers,  set  fire  to  the  jail,  and  escape  through 
the  crackling  timbers  of  the  burning  pile?  " 

The  jailer  reflected  for  a  minute.  "  It  would  be 
better,  perhaps,"  he  said,  "  that  you  should  surrender 
and  disperse  to  your  homes." 

The  Jolly-cum-pop  agreed  to  these  terms,  and  the 
great  gate  being  opened,  he  marched  out  in  good 
order.  "Now,"  said  he  to  himself,  "the  thing  for 
me  to  do  is  to  get  home  as  fast  as  I  can,  or  that  jailer 
may  change  his  mind."  But,  being  in  a  great  hurry, 
he  turned  the  wrong  way,  and  walked  rapidly  into  a 
country  unknown  to  him.  His  walk  was  a  very  merry 
one.  "  By  this  time,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  the  Prince 


PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH.  131 

and  his  followers  have  returned  to  my  house,  and  are 
tired  of  watching  the  rock-splitters  and  miners.  How 
amused  they  will  be  when  they  see  me  come  back  in 
this  gay  suit  of  green  and  yellow,  with  red  spots,  and 
with  sixteen  similar  suits  upon  my  arm  !  How  my  own 
dogs  will  bark  at  me !  And  how  my  own  servants  will 
not  know  me !  It  is  the  funniest  thing  I  ever  knew 
of  !  "  And  his  gay  laugh  echoed  far  and  wide.  But 
when  he  had  gone  several  miles  without  seeing  any 
signs  of  his  habitation,  his  gayety  abated.  u  It  would 
have  been  much  better,"  he  said,  as  he  sat  down  to 
rest  under  the  shade  of  a  tree,  "  if  I  had  brought  with 
me  sixteen  rations  instead  of  these  sixteen  suits  of 
clothes." 

The  Jolly-cum-pop  soon  set  out  again,  but  he  walked 
a  long  distance  without  seeing  any  person  or  any  house. 
Toward  the  close  of  the  afternoon  he  stopped,  and, 
looking  back,  he  saw  coming  toward  him  a  large  party 
of  foot  travellers.  In  a  few  moments,  he  perceived 
that  the  person  in  advance  was  the  jailer.  At  this 
the  Jolly-cum-pop  could  not  restrain  his  merriment. 
"How  comically  it  has  all  turned  out!  "  he  exclaimed. 
44  Here  I've  taken  all  this  trouble,  and  tired  myself 
out,  and  have  nearly  starved  myself,  and  the  jailer 
comes  now,  with  a  crowd  of  people,  and  takes  me 
back.  I  might  as  well  have  staid  where  I  was.  Ha  ! 
ha!  " 

The  jailer  now  left  his  party  and  came  running 
toward  the  Jolly-cum-pop.  "•  I  pray  you,  sir,"  he 
said,  bowing  very  low,  "  do  not  cast  us  off." 

44  Who  are  you   all?"   asked   the   Jolly-cum-pop, 


132  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

looking  with  much  surprise  at  the  jailer's1  companions, 
who  were  now  quite  near. 

"  We  are  myself,  my  three  myrmidons,  and  our 
wives  and  children.  Our  situations  were  such  good 
ones  that  we  married  long  ago,  and  our  families  lived 
in  the  upper  stories  of  the  prison.  But  when  all  the 
convicts  had  left  we  were  afraid  to  remain,  for,  should 
the  Potentate  again  visit  the  prison,  he  would  be  dis 
appointed  and  enraged  at  finding  no  prisoners,  and 
would,  probabty,  punish  us  grievously.  So  we  deter 
mined  to  follow  you,  and  to  ask  you  to  let  us  go  with 
you,  wherever  you  are  going.  I  wrote  a  report,  which 
I  fastened  to  the  great  gate,  and  in  it  I  stated  that 
sixteen  of  the  convicts  escaped  by  the  aid  of  outside 
confederates,  and  that  seventeen  of  them  mutinied  in 
a  body  and  broke  jail." 

44  That  report,"  laughed  the  Jolly-cum-pop,  "your 
Potentate  will  not  readily  understand." 

44  If  I  were  there,"  said  the  jailer,  "  I  could  explain 
it  to  him ;  but,  as  it  is,  he  must  work  it  out  for 
himself." 

44  Have  }'ou  any  thing  to  eat  with  you?"  asked  the 
Jolly-cum-pop. 

44  Oh,  yes,"  said  the  jailer,  4t  we  brought  provisions." 

44  Well,  then,  I  gladly  take  you  under  my  protection. 
Let  us  have  supper.  I  have  had  nothing  to  eat  since 
morning,  and  the  weight  of  sixteen  extra  suits  of 
clothes  does  not  help  to  refresh  one." 

The  Jolly-cum-pop  and  his  companions  slept  that 
night  under  some  trees,  and  started  off  early  the  next 
morning.  44  If  I  could  only  get  myself  turned  in  the 


PRINCE  BASSAK'S  MARCH.  133 

proper  direction,"  said  he,  "I  believe  we  should 
soon  reach  my  house. 

The  Prince,  his  courtiers,  the  boys  and  girls,  the 
course-marker,  and  the  map-maker  worked  industri 
ously  for  several  days  at  the  foundation  of  their  city. 
They  dug  the  ground,  they  earned  stones,  they  cut 
down  trees.  This  work  was  very  hard  for  all  of  them, 
for  they  were  not  used  to  it.  After  a  few  days'  labor, 
the  Prince  said  to  the  man  with  the  red  beard,  who  was 
reading  his  book :  "  I  think  we  have  now  formed  a 
nucleus.  Any  one  can  see  that  this  is  intended  to  be 
a  ?ity." 

"No,"  said  the  man  with  the  red  beard,  "nothing 
is  truly  a  nucleus  until  something  is  gathered  around 
it.  Proceed  with  your  work,  while  I  continue  my 
studies  upon  civil  government." 

Toward  the  close  of  that  day  the  red-bearded  man 
raised  his  eyes  from  his  book  and  beheld  the  Jolly- 
cum-pop  and  his  party  approaching.  "  Hurrah  !  "  he 
cried,  "we  are  already  attracting  settlers!"  And 
he  went  forth  to  meet  them. 

When  the  prince  and  the  courtiers  saw  the  Jolly- 
cum-pop  in  his  bright  and  variegated  dress,  they  did  not 
know  him  ;  but  the  boys  and  girls  soon  recognized  his 
jovial  face,  and,  tired  as  they  were,  they  set  up  a 
hearty  laugh,  in  which  they  were  loudly  joined  by  their 
merry  friend.  While  the  Jolly-cum-pop  was  listening 
to  the  adventures  of  the  Prince  and  his  companions, 
and  telling  what  had  happened  to  himself,  the  man 
with  the  red  beard  was  talking  to  the  jailer  and  his 
party,  and  urging  them  to  gather  around  the  nucleus 


134  PRINCE  HASSANS  MARCH. 

which  had  been  here  formed,  and  help  to  build  a 
city. 

u  Nothing  will  suit  us  better,'*  exclaimed  the  jailer, 
'*  and  the  sooner  we  build  a  town  wall  so  as  to  keep 
off  the  Potentate,  if  he  should  come  this  way,  the 
better  shall  we  be  satisfied." 

The  next  morning,  the  Prince  said  to  the  red-bearded 
man  :  u  Others  have  gathered  around  us.  We  have 
formed  a  nucleus,  and  thus  have  done  all  that  we 
promised  to  do.  We  shall  now  depart." 

The  man  objected  strongly  to  this,  but  the  Prince 
paid  no  attention  to  his  words.  "  What  troubles  me 
most,"  he  said  to  the  Jolly-cum-pop,  "is  the  disgrace 
ful  condition  of  our  clothes.  They  have  been  so  torn 
and  soiled  during  our  unaccustomed  work  that  they  are 
not  fit  to  be  seen." 

" As  for  that,"  said  the  Jolly-cum-pop,  "I  have 
sixteen  suits  with  me,  in  which  you  can  all  dress,  if 
you  like.  They  are  of  unusual  patterns,  but  they  are 
new  and  clean." 

"  It  is  better,"  said  the  Prince,  "  for  persons  in  my 
station  to  appear  inordinately  gay  than  to  be  seen  in 
rags  and  dirt.  We  will  accept  your  clothes." 

Thereupon,  the  Prince  and  each  of  the  others  put  on 
a  prison  dress  of  bright  green  and  yellow,  with  large 
red  spots.  There  were  some  garments  left  over,  for 
each  boy  wore  only  a  pair  of  trousers  with  the  waist 
band  tied  around  his  neck,  and  holes  cut  for  his  arms  ; 
while  the  large  jackets,  with  the  sleeves  tucked,  made 
very  good  dresses  for  the  girls.  The  Prince  and  his 
party,  accompanied  by  the  Jolly-cum-pop,  now  left  the 


PRINCE  BASSAK'S  MARCH.  185 

red-bearded  man  and  his  new  settlers  to  continue  the 
building  of  the  city,  and  set  off  on  their  journey. 
The  course-marker  had  not  been  informed  the  night 
before  that  they  were  to  go  away  that  morning,  and 
consequently  did  not  set  his  instrument  by  the  stars. 

44  As  we  do  not  know  in  which  way  we  should  go," 
said  the  Prince,  "  one  way  will  be  as  good  as  another, 
and  if  we  can  find  a  road  let  us  take  it ;  it  will  be  easier 
walking." 

In  an  hour  or  two  they  found  a  road  and  they  took 
it.  After  journeying  the  greater  part  of  the  day,  they 
reached  the  top  of  a  low  hill,  over  which  the  road  ran, 
and  saw  before  them  a  glittering  sea  and  the  spires 
and  houses  of  a  city. 

u  It  is  the  city  of  Yan,"  said  the  course-marker. 

44  That  is  true,"  said  the  Prince ;  4t  and  as  we  are 
so  near,  we  may  as  well  go  there." 

The  astonishment  of  the  people  of  Yan,  when  this 
party,  dressed  in  bright  green  and  yellow,  with  red 
spots,  passed  through  their  streets,  was  so  great  that 
the  Jolly-cum-pop  roared  with  laughter.  This  set  the 
boys  and  girls  and  all  the  people  laughing,  and  the 
sounds  of  merriment  became  so  uproarious  that  when 
they  reached  the  palace  the  King  came  ou  to  see  what 
was  the  matter.  What  he  thought  when  he  saw  his 
nephew  in  his  fantastic  guise,  accompanied  by  a  party 
apparently  composed  of  sixteen  other  lunatics,  cannot 
now  be  known ;  but,  after  hearing  the  Prince's  story, 
he  took  him  into  an  inner  apartment,  and  thus  addressed 
him  :  44  My  dear  Hassak  :  The  next  time  you  pay  me  a 
visit,  I  beg  for  your  sake  and  my  own,  that  you  will 


136  PRINCE  HASSAK'S  MARCH. 

come  in  the  ordinary  way.  You  have  sufficiently  shown 
to  the  world  that,  when  a  Prince  desires  to  travel,  it  is 
often  necessary  for  him  to  go  out  of  his  way  on  account 
of  obstacles." 

"  My  dear  uncle,"  replied  Hassak,  "  your  words 
shall  not  be  forgotten." 

After  a  pleasant  visit  of  a  few  weeks,  the  Prince 
and  his  party  (in  new  clothes)  returned  (by  sea)  to 
Itoby,  whence  the  Jolly-cum-pop  soon  repaired  to  his 
home.  There  he  found  the  miners  and  rock-splitters 
still  at  work  at  the  tunnel,  which  had  now  penetrated 
half-way  through  the  hill  on  which  stood  his  house. 
"  You  may  go  home,"  he  said,  "  for  the  Prince  has 
changed  his  plans.  I  will  put  a  door  to  this  tunnel, 
and  it  will  make  an  excellent  cellar  in  which  to  keep 
my  wine  and  provisions." 

The  day  after  the  Prince's  return  his  map-maker 
said  to  him  :  "Your  Highness,  according  to  your  com 
mands  I  made,  each  day,  a  map  of  your  progress  to 
the  city  of  Yan.  Here  it  is." 

The  Prince  glanced  at  it  and  then  he  cast  his  eyes 
upon  the  floor.  "  Leave  me,"  he  said.  u  I  would  be 
alone." 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THIRD  COUSINS. 


npHERE  were  never  many  persons  who  could  cor- 
-J-  rectly  bound  the  Autocracy  of  Mutjado.  The 
reason  for  this  was  that  the  boundary  line  was  not 
stationary.  Whenever  the  Autocrat  felt  the  need  of 
money,  he  sent  his  tax-gatherers  far  and  wide,  and 
people  who  up  to  that  time  had  no  idea  of  such  a  thing 
found  that  they  lived  in  the  territory  of  Mutjado.  But 
when  times  were  ordinaril}*  prosperous  with  him,  and 
people  in  the  outlying  districts  needed  protection  or 
public  works,  the  dominion  of  the  Autocrat  became 
very  much  contracted. 

In  the  course  of  time,  the  Autocrat  of  Mutjado  fell 
into  bad  health  and  sent  for  his  doctor.  That  learned 
man  prescribed  some  medicine  for  him  ;  and  as  this 
did  him  no  good,  he  ordered  another  kind.  He  contin 
ued  this  method  of  treatment  until  the  Autocrat  had 
swallowed  the  contents  of  fifteen  phials  and  flasks, 
some  large  and  some  small.  As  none  of  these  were  of 
the  slightest  benefit,  the  learned  doctor  produced  an 
other  kind  of  medicine  which  he  highly  extolled. 

"Take  a  dose  of  this  twice  a  day,"  said  he,  "and 

you  will  soon  find " 

138 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   THIRD   COUSINS.        139 

UA  new  medicine?"  interrupted  the  Autocrat,  in 
disgust.  "  I  will  have  none  of  it !  These  others  were 
bad  enough,  and  rather  than  start  with  a  new  physic,  I 
prefer  to  die.  Take  away  your  bottles,  little  and  big, 
and  send  me  my  secretary." 

When  that  officer  arrived,  the  Autocrat  informed 
him  that  he  had  determined  to  write  his  will,  and  that 
he  should  set  about  it  at  once. 

The  Autocrat  of  Mutjado  had  no  son,  and  his  near 
est  male  relatives  were  a  third  cousin  on  his  father's 
side,  and  another  third  cousin  on  his  mother's  side.  Of 
course  these  persons  were  in  nowise  related  to  each 
other ;  and  as  they  lived  in  distant  countries,  he  had 
never  seen  either  of  them.  He  had  made  up  his  mind  to 
leave  his  throne  and  dominions  to  one  of  these  persons, 
but  he  could  not  determine  which  of  them  should  be 
his  heir. 

"One  has  as  good  a  right  as  the  other,"  he  said 
to  himself,  "  and  I  can't  bother  my  brains  settling  the 
matter  for  them.  Let  them  fight  it  out,  and  whoever 
conquers  shall  be  Autocrat  of  Mutjado." 

Having  arranged  the  affair  in  this  manner  in  his 
will,  he  signed  it,  and  soon  after  died. 

The  Autocrat's  third  cousin  on  his  father's  side  was 
a  young  man  of  about  twenty-five,  named  Alberdin. 
He  was  a  good  horseman,  and  trained  m  the  arts  of 
warfare,  and  when  he  was  informed  of  the  terms  of  his 
distinguished  relative's  will,  he  declared  himself  per 
fectly  willing  to  undertake  the  combat  for  the  throne. 
He  set  out  for  Mutjado,  where  he  arrived  in  a  reason 
able  time. 


140        THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   THIRD   COUSINS. 

The  third  cousin  on  the  mother's  side  was  a  very 
different  person.  He  was  a  boy  of  about  twelve  years 
of  age  ;  and  as  his  father  and  mother  had  died  when 
he  was  very  young,  he  had  been  for  nearly  all  his  life 
under  the  charge  of  an  elderly  and  prudent  man,  who 
acted  as  his  guardian  and  tutor.  These  two,  also,  soon 
arrived  in  Mutjado, — the  boy,  Phedo,  being  mounted 
on  a  little  donkey,  which  was  his  almost  constant  com 
panion.  As  soon  as  they  reached  the  territory  of  the 
late  Autocrat,  old  Salim,  the  tutor,  left  the  boy  at  an 
inn,  and  went  forward  by  himself  to  take  a  look  at  the 
other  third  cousin.  When  he  saw  Alberdm  mounted 
on  his  fine  horse,  and  looking  so  strong  and  valiant, 
his  heart  was  much  disturbed. 

"  I  had  hoped,"  he  said  to  himself,  "  that  the  other 
one  was  a  small  boy,  but  such  does  not  appear  to  be 
the  case.  There  is  but  one  way  to  have  a  fair  fight 
between  these  two.  They  must  not  now  be  allowed  to 
see  each  other.  If  they  can  be  kept  apart  until  my  boy 
grows  up,  he  will  then  be  able,  with  the  military  educa 
tion  which  I  intend  he  shall  have,  to  engage  in  combat 
with  any  man.  They  must  not  meet  for  at  least  thirteen 
years.  Phedo  will  then  be  twenty-five,  and  able  to  do 
worthy  combat.  To  be  sure,  I  am  somewhat  old  my 
self  to  undertake  to  superintend  so  long  a  delay,  but  I 
must  do  my  best  to  keep  well  and  strong,  and  to  attain 
the  greatest  possible  longevity." 

Salim  had  always  been  in  the  habit  of  giving  thirty- 
two  chews  to  every  mouthful  of  meat,  and  a  propor 
tionate  number  of  chews  to  other  articles  of  food ; 
and  had,  so  far,  been  very  healthy.  But  he  now  deter- 


THE   BATTLE   OF   THE   THIRD   COUSINS.        14. 

mined  to  increase  the  number  of  chews  to  thirty-six, 
for  it  would  be  highly  necessary  for  him  to  live  until  it 
was  time  for  the  battle  between  the  third  cousins  to 
take  place. 

Having  made  up  his  mind  on  these  points,  the  old 
tutor  introduced  himself  to  Alberdin,  and  told  him  that 
he  had  come  to  arrange  the  terms  of  combat. 

14  In  the  first  place,"  said  Alberdin,  44  I  should  like 
to  know  what  sort  of  a  person  my  opponent  is." 

"He  is  not  a  cavalryman  like  you,"  answered 
Salim  ;  u  he  belongs  to  the  heavy  infantry." 

At  this,  Alberdin  looked  grave.  He  knew  very  well 
that  a  stout  and  resolute  man  on  foot  had  often  the 
advantage  of  one  who  is  mounted.  He  would  have 
preferred  meeting  a  horseman,  and  fighting  on  equal 
terms. 

44  Has  he  had  much  experience  in  war?"  asked  the 
young  man. 

44  It  is  not  long,"  answered  the  tutor,  <k  since  he  was 
almost  constantly  in  arms,  winter  and  summer." 

4>  He  must  l>e  a  practised  warrior,"  thought  Alberdin. 
44 1  must  put  myself  in  good  fighting-trim  before  I 
meet  him." 

After  some  further  conversation  on  the  subject,  the 
old  man  advised  Alberdin  to  go  into  camp  on  a  beau 
tiful  plain  not  far  from  the  base  of  a  low  line  of  inoun 
tains. 

44  Your  opponent,"  said  he,  44  will  intrench  himself 
in  the  valley  on  the  other  side.  With  the  mountains 
between  you,  neither  of  you  need  fear  a  surprise ,  and 
when  both  are  ready,  a  place  of  meeting  can  be  ap 
pointed. 


142        THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   THIRD   COUSINS. 

"  Now,  then,"  said  Salim  to  himself  when  this  had 
been  settled ;  "if  I  can  keep  them  apart  for  thirteen 
years,  all  may  be  well." 

As  soon  as  possible,  Alberdin  pitched  a  tent  upon 
the  appointed  spot,  and  began  to  take  daily  warlike 
exercise  in  the  plain,  endeavoring  in  every  way  to  put 
himself  and  his  horse  into  proper  condition  for  the 
combat. 

On  the  other  side  of  the  mountain,  old  Salim  in 
trenched  himself  and  the  boy,  Phedo.  He  carefully 
studied  several  books  on  military  engineering,  and 
caused  a  fortified  camp  to  be  constructed  on  the  most 
approved  principles.  It  was  surrounded  by  high  ram 
parts,  and  outside  of  these  was  a  moat  filled  with 
water.  In  the  centre  of  the  camp  was  a  neat  little 
house  which  was  well  provided  with  books,  provisions, 
and  every  thing  necessary  for  a  prolonged  stay.  When 
the  drawbridge  was  up,  it  would  be  impossible  for  Al 
berdin  to  get  inside  of  the  camp ;  and,  moreover,  the 
ramparts  were  so  high  that  he  could  not  look  over 
them  to  see  what  soil  of  antagonist  he  was  to  have. 
Old  Salim  did  not  tell  the  boy  why  he  brought  him 
here  to  live.  It  would  be  better  to  wait  until  he  was 
older  before  informing  him  of  the  battle  which  had 
been  decreed  He  told  Phedo  that  it  was  necessciry 
for  him  to  have  a  military  education,  which  could  very 
well  be  obtained  in  a  place  like  this ;  and  he  was  also 
very  careful  to  let  him  know  that  there1  was  a  terrible 
soldier  in  that  part  of  the  country  who  might  at  any 
time,  if  it  were  not  for  the  intrenchments,  pounce 
down  upon  him,  and  cut  him  to  pieces.  Every  fine 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE   THIRD   COUSINS          143 

day,  Phedo  was  allowed  to  take  a  ride  on  his  donkey 
outside  of  the  fortifications,  but  during  tins  time,  the 
old  tutor  kept  a  strict  watch  on  the  mountain  ,  and  if 
a  horseman  had  made  his  appearance,  little  Phedo 
would  have  been  whisked  inside,  and  the  drawbridge 
would  have  been  up  in  a  twinkling. 

After  about  two  weeks  of  this  life  Phedo  found  it 
dreadfully  stupid  to  see  no  one  but  his  old  tutor,  and 
never  to  go  outside  of  these  great  ramparts  except  for 
donkey-rides,  which  were  generally  very  short.  Ho 
therefore  determined,  late  one  moonlight  night,  to  go 
out  and  take  a  ramble  by  himself.  He  was  not  afraid 
of  the  dreadful  soldier  of  whom  the  old  man  had  told 
him,  because  at  that  time  of  night  this  personage 
would,  of  course,  be  in  bed  and  asleep.  Considering 
these  things,  he  quietly  dressed  himself,  took  down  a 
great  key  from  over  his  sleeping  tutor's  head,  opened 
the  heavy  gate,  let  down  the  drawbridge,  mounted 
upon  his  donkey,  aud  rode  forth  upon  the  moonlit 
plain. 

That  night-ride  was  a  very  delightful  one,  and  for  a 
long  time  the  boy  and  the  donkey  rambled  and  ran  ; 
first  going  this  way  and  then  that,  they  gradually 
climbed  the  mountain  ;  and,  reaching  the  brow,  they 
trotted  about  for  a  while,  and  then  went  down  the  other 
side.  The  boy  had  been  so  twisted  and  turned  in  his 
course  that  he  did  not  notice  that  he  was  not  descend 
ing  toward  his  camp,  and  the  donkey,  whose  instinct 
told  it  that  it  was  not  going  the  right  way.  was  also 
told  by  its  instinct  that  it  did  not  wish  to  go  the  right 
way,  and  that  the  intrenchineuts  offered  it  no  tempta- 


H4        THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THIRD  COUSIN 3. 

tions  to  return.  When  the  morning  dawned,  Phedo 
perceived  that  he  was  really  lost,  and  he  began  to  be 
afraid  that  he  might  meet  the  terrible  soldier.  But, 
after  a  time,  he  saw  riding  toward  him  a  very  pleasant- 
looking  young  man  on  a  handsome  horse,  and  he 
immediately  took  courage. 

44  Now,"  said  he  to  himself,  "I  am  no  longer  in 
danger.  If  that  horrible  cut-throat  should  appear, 
this  good  gentleman  will  protect  me." 

Alberdin  had  not  seen  any  one  for  a  long  time,  and 
he  was  very  glad  to  meet  with  so  nice  a  little  boy. 
When  Phedo  told  him  that  he  was  lost,  he  invited  him 
to  come  to  his  tent,  near  by,  and  have  breakfast. 
While  they  were  eating  their  meal,  Alberdin  asked  the 
boy  if  in  the  course  of  his  rambles  he  had  met  with  a 
heavy  infantry  soldier,  probably  armed  to  the  teeth, 
and  very  large  and  strong. 

"  Oh,  I've  heard  of  that  dreadful  man!"  cried 
Phedo,  "  and  I  am  very  glad  that  I  did  not  meet  him. 
If  he  comes,  I  hope  you'll  protect  me  from  him." 

41  I  will  do  that,"  said  Alberdin  ;  "  but  I  am  afraid  I 
shall  not  be  able  to  help  you  find  your  way  home,  for 
in  doing  so  I  should  throw  myself  off  my  guard,  and 
might  be  set  upon  unexpectedly  by  this  fellow,  with 
whom  I  have  a  regular  engagement  to  fight.  There  is 
to  be  a  time  fixed  for  the  combat,  for  which  I  feel  my 
self  nearly  ready,  but  I  have  no  doubt  that  my  enemy 
will  be  very  glad  to  take  me  at  a  disadvantage  if  I  give 
him  a  chance." 

Phedo  looked  about  him  with  an  air  of  content.  The 
tent  was  large  and  well  furnished ;  there  seemed  to  be 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   THIRD   COUSINS.         145 

plenty  of  good  things  to  eat ;  the  handsome  horseman 
was  certainly  a  very  good-humored  and  agreeable  gen 
tleman  ;  and,  moreover,  the  tent  was  not  shut  in  by 
high  and  gloomy  ramparts. 

'*  I  do  not  think  you  need  trouble  yourself,"  said  he 
to  his  host,  "  to  help  me  to  find  my  way  home.  I  live 
with  my  tutor,  and  I  am  sure  that  when  he  knows  I 
am  gone  he  will  begin  to  search  for  me,  and  after 
awhile  he  will  find  me.  Until  then,  I  can  be  very 
comfortable  here." 

For  several  days  the  two  third  cousins  of  the  Auto 
crat  lived  together  iu  the  tent,  and  enjoyed  each  other's 
society  very  much.  Then  Alberdin  began  to  grow  a 
little  impatient. 

41  If  I  am  to  fight  this  heavy  infantry  man,"  he  said  ; 
'•  I  should  like  to  do  it  at  once.  I  am  now  quite  ready, 
and  I  think  he  ought  to  be.  I  expected  to  hear  from 
him  before  this  time,  and  I  shall  start  out  and  see  if  I 
can  get  any  news  of  his  intentions.  I  don't  care  about 
going  over  the  mountain  without  giving  him  notice,  but 
the  capital  city  of  Mutjado  is  only  a  day's  ride  to  the 
west,  and  there  I  can  cause  inquiries  to  be  made  when 
he  would  like  to  meet  me,  and  where." 

"  I  will  go  with  you,"  said  Phedo,  greatly  delighted 
at  the  idea  of  visiting  the  city. 

"Yes,  I  will  take  you,"  said  Alberdin.  "  Your 
tutor  don't  seem  inclined  to  come  for  you,  and,  of 
course,  I  can't  leave  you  here." 

The  next  day,  Alberdin  on  his  horse,  and  Phedo  on 
his  donkey,  set  out  for  the  city,  where  they  arrived 
Ute  in  the  afternoon.  After  finding  a  cornfortablt 


146         THE  BATTLE   OF   THE   THIRD   COUSINS. 

lodging,  Alberdin  sent  messengers  to  the  other  side  of 
the  mountain,  where  his  opponent  was  supposed  to  be 
encamped,  and  gave  them  power  to  arrange  with  him 
for  a  meeting.  He  particularly  urged  them  to  try  to  see 
the  old  man  who  had  come  to  him  at  first,  and  who  had 
seemed  to  be  a  very  fair-minded  and  sensible  person. 
In  two  days,  however,  the  messengers  returned,  stating 
that  they  had  found  what  they  supposed  to  be  the  in 
trenched  camp  of  the  heavy  infantry  man  they  had 
been  sent  in  search  of,  but  that  it  was  entirely  deserted, 
and  nobody  could  be  seen  anywhere  near  it. 

"It  is  very  likely,"  said  Alberdin,  "that  he  has 
watched  my  manoeuvres  and  exercises  from  the  top  of 
the  mountain,  and  has  concluded  to  run  away.  I  shall 
give  him  a  reasonable  time  to  show  himself,  and  then, 
if  he  does  not  come  forward,  I  will  consider  him 
beaten,  and  claim  the  Autocracy." 

"  That  is  a  good  idea,"  said  Phedo,  "but  I  think, 
if  you  can,  you  ought  to  find  him  and  kill  him,  or 
drive  him  out  of  the  country.  That's  what  I  should 
do,  if  I  were  you." 

"  Of  course  I  shall  do  that,  if  I  can,"  said  Alberdin ; 
"  but  I  could  not  be  expected  to  wait  for  him  forever." 

When  his  intention  had  been  proclaimed,  Alberdin 
was  informed  of  something  which  he  did  not  know 
before,  and  that  was  that  the  late  Autocrat  had  left 
;in  only  daughter,  a  Princess  about  twenty  years  old. 
But  although  she  was  his  daughter,  she  could  not  in 
herit  his  crown,  for  the  laws  of  the  country  forbade 
that  any  woman  should  become  Autocrat.  A  happy 
idea  now  struck  Alberdin. 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   THIRL   COUSINS.        147 

"  I  will  marry  the  Princess,"  be  said,  "  and  then 
every  one  will  think  that  it  is  the  most  suitable  thing 
for  me  to  become  Autocrat." 

So  Alberdin  sent  to  the  Princess  to  ask  permission 
to  speak  with  her,  and  was  granted  an  audience. 
With  much  courtesy  and  politeness  he  made  known  his 
plans  to  the  lady,  and  hoped  that  she  would  consider 
it  advisable  to  marry  him. 

44 1  am  sorry  to  interfere  with  any  of  your  arrange 
ments,"  said  the  Princess,  "  but  as  soon  as  I  heard 
the  terms  of  my  father's  will,  I  made  up  my  mind  to 
marry  the  victor  in  the  contest.  As  I  cannot  inherit 
the  throne  myself,  the  next  best  thing  is  to  be  the  wife 
of  the  man  who  does.  Go  forth,  then,  and  find  your 
antagonist,  and  when  you  have  conquered  him,  I  will 
marry  you." 

"  And  if  he  conquers  me,  you  will  many  him?" 
said  Alberdin. 

44  Yes,  sir,"  answered  the  Princess,  with  a  smile, 
and  dismissed  him. 

It  was  plain  enough  that  there  was  nothing  for 
Alberdin  to  do  but  to  go  and  look  for  the  heavy  infan 
try  man.  Phedo  was  very  anxious  to  accompany  him, 
and  the  two,  mounted  as  before,  set  out  from  the  city 
on  their  quest. 

When  old  Salim,  the  tutor  of  Phedo,  awoke  in  the 
morning  and  found  the  boy  gone,  he  immediately 
imagined  that  the  youngster  had  run  away  to  his  old 
home  ;  so  he  set  forth  with  all  possible  speed,  hoping 
to  overtake  him.  But  when  he  reached  the  distant 
town  where  Phedo  had  lived,  he  found  that  the  boy 


148        THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THIRD   COUSINS. 

had  not  been  there  ;  and  after  taking  some  needful  rest, 
he  retraced  his  steps,  crossed  the  mountains,  and  made 
Ms  way  toward  the  capital  city,  hoping  to  find  news  of 
him  there.  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  be  very  care 
ful  in  his  inquiries,  for  he  wished  no  one  to  find  out 
that  the  little  boy  he  was  looking  for  was  the  third 
cousin  of  the  late  Autocrat  on  the  mother's  side.  He 
therefore  disguised  himself  as  a  migratory  medical 
man,  and  determined  to  use  all  possible  caution. 
When  he  reached  the  camp  of  the  young  horseman, 
Alberdin,  and  found  that  personage  gone,  his  suspi 
cions  became  excited. 

ulf  these  two  have  run  off  together,"  he  said  to 
himself,  tkmy  task  is  indeed  difficult.  If  the  man 
discovers  it  is  the  to}'  he  has  to  fight,  my  poor  Phedo 
will  be  cut  to  pieces  in  a  twinkling.  I  do  not  believe 
there  has  been  any  trouble  yet,  for  the  boy  does  not 
know  that  he  is  to  be  one  of  the  combatants,  and  the 
man  would  not  be  likely  to  suspect  it.  Come  what 
may,  the  fight  must  not  take  place  for  thirteen  years. 
And  in  order  that  I  may  still  better  preserve  my  health 
and  strength  to  avert  the  calamity  during  that  period, 
I  will  increase  my  number  of  chews  to  forty-two  to 
each  mouthful  of  meat." 

When  old  Sahm  reached  the  city,  he  soon  found  that 
Alberdin  and  the  boy  had  been  there,  and  that  they 
had  gone  away  together. 

u  Nothing  has  happened  so  far,"  said  the  old  man, 
with  a  sigh  of  relief;  "and  things  may  turn  out  all 
right  yet.  I'll  follow  them,  but  I  must  first  find 
out  what  that  cavalryman  had  to  sa}7  to  tbtr  *Mnf 


TEE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THIRD  COUSINS.      149 

cess."  For  he  had  been  told  of  the  interview  at  the 
palace. 

It  was  not  long  before  the  migratory  medical  mail 
was  brought  to  the  Princess.  There  was  nothing  the 
matt  IT  with  her,  but  she  liked  to  meet  with  persons  of 
skill  and  learning  to  hear  what  they  had  to  say. 

44  Have  you  any  specialty?"  she  asked  of  the  old 
man. 

*•  Yes,"  said  he,  44 1  am  a  germ-doctor." 

4'  What  is  that?"  asked  the  Princess. 

4*A11  diseases,"  replied  the  old  man,  44come  from 
germs  ;  generally  very  little  ones.  My  business  is  to 
discover  these,  and  find  out  all  about  them." 

'•Then  I  suppose,"  said  the  Princess,  "you  know 
how  to  cure  the  diseases?" 

k>  You  must  not  expect  too  much,"  answered  the  old 
m:ui.  I4lt  ought  to  be  a  great  satisfaction  to  us  to 
know  what  sort  of  germ  is  at  the  bottom  of  our 
woes." 

••I  am  very  well,  myself,"  said  the  Princess,  44and, 
so  far  as  I  know,  none  of  my  household  are  troubled 
by  germs.  But  there  is  something  the  matter  with  my 
mind  which  I  wish  you  could  relieve."  She  then  told 
the  old  man  how  she  had  determined  to  marry  the  victor 
in  the  contest  for  her  father's  throne,  and  how  she  had 
seen  one  for  the  claimants  whom  she  considered  to  be  a 
very  agreeable  and  deserving  young  man ;  while  the 
other,  she  had  heard,  was  a  great,  strong  foot  soldier, 
who  was  probably  very  disagreeable,  and  even  horrid. 
If  this  one  should  prove  the  conqueror,  she  did  not 
know  what  she  should  do.  "  You  see,  I  am  iu  a  great 


150         THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   THIRD   COUSINS. 

deal  of  trouble,"  said  she.  "  Can  you  do  any  thing  to 
help  me?" 

The  pretending  migratory  medical  man  looked  at  her 
attentively  for  a  few  moments,  and  then  he  said : 

"  The  reason  why  you  intend  to  marry  the  victor  in 
the  coming  contest,  is  that  you  wish  to  remain  here  in 
your  father's  palace,  and  to  continue  to  enjoy  the  com 
forts  and  advantages  to  which  you  have  been  accus 
tomed." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  Princess  ;  "  that  is  it." 

u  Well,  having  discovered  the  germ  of  }rour  disor 
der,"  said  the  old  man,  "  the  great  point  is  gained.  I 
will  see  what  I  can  do." 

And  with  a  respectful  bow  he  left  her  presence. 

<4  Well,"  said  old  Salim  to  himself,  as  he  went  away, 
u  she  can  never  many  my  boy,  for  Unit  is  certainly  out 
of  the  question  ;  but  now  that  I  have  found  out  her 
motive,  I  think  I  can  arrange  matters  satisfactorily,  so 
far  as  she  is  concerned.  But  to  settle  the  affair  be 
tween  that  young  man  and  Phedo  is  immensely  more 
difficult.  The  first  thing  is  to  find  them." 

Having  learned  the  way  they  had  gone,  the  old  tutor 
travelled  diligently,  and  in  two  days  came  up  with 
Alberdin  and  Phedo.  When  he  first  caught  sight  of 
them,  he  was  very  much  surprised  to  see  that  they 
were  resting  upon  the  ground  quite  a  long  distance 
apart,  with  a  little  stream  between  them.  Noticing 
that  Alberdin 's  back  was  toward  him,  he  threw  off  his 
disguise  and  hastened  to  Phedo.  The  boy  received 
him  with  the  greatest  delight,  and,  after  many  em 
braces,  they  sat  down  to  talk.  Phedo  told  the  old 


THE  BATTLE   OF   THE   THIRD   COUSINS.         151 

man  all  that  had  happened,  and  finished  by  relating 
that,  as  they  had  that  day  stopped  by  this  stream  to 
rest,  Alberdin  had  taken  it  into  his  head  to  inquire 
into  the  parentage  of  his  young  companion  ;  and  after 
many  questions  about  his  family,  it  had  been  made 
clear  to  both  of  them  that  they  were  the  two  third 
cousins  who  were  to  fight  for  the  Autocracy  of  Mut- 
jado. 

44  He  is  very  angry,"  said  the  boy,  "  at  the  tricks 
that  have  been  played  upon  him,  and  went  off  and  left 
me.  Is  it  true  that  I  am  to  fight  him?  I  don't  want 
to  do  it,  for  I  like  him  very  much." 

4k  It  will  be  a  long  time  before  you  are  old  enough  to 
fight,"  said  Salim  ;  '•  so  we  need  not  consider  that. 
You  stay  here,  and  I'll  go  over  and  talk  to  him." 

Salim  then  crossed  the  stream,  and  approached  Al 
berdin.  When  the  young  man  saw  him,  and  recog 
nized  him  as  the  person  who  had  arranged  the  two 
encampments,  he  turned  upon  him  with  fury. 

"  Wretched  old  man,  who  came  to  me  as  the  emis 
sary  of  my  antagonist,  you  are  but  the  tutor  of  that 
boy !  If  I  had  known  the  truth  at  first,  I  would  have 
met  him  instantly  ;  would  have  conquered  him  without 
hurting  a  hair  on  his  head  ;  and  carrying  him  bound  to 
the  capital  city,  would  have  claimed  the  Autocracy, 
and  would  now  have  been  sitting  upon  the  throne.  In 
stead  of  that,  look  at  the  delay  and  annoyance  to  which 
I  have  been  subjected.  I  have  also  taken  such  a 
fancy  to  the  boy  that  rather  than  hurt  him  or  injure 
his  prospects,  I  would  willingly  resign  my  pretensions 
to  the  throne,  and  go  back  contentedly  to  my  own  city. 


152         THE  BATTLE   OF  THE  THIRD   COUSINS. 

But  this  cannot  now  be  clone.  I  have  fallen  in  love 
with  the  daughter  of  the  late  Autocrat,  and  she  will 
marry  none  but  the  victorious  claimant.  Behold  to 
what  a  condition  you  have  brought  me !  " 

The  old  man  regarded  him  with  attention. 

"  I  wish  very  much,"  said  he,  '*  to  defer  the  settle 
ment  of  this  matter  for  thirteen  years.  Are  you  will 
ing  to  wait  so  long?  " 

"  No,  I  am  not,"  said  Alberdin. 

41  Very  well,  then,"  said  the  old  man,  "each  third 
cousin  must  retire  to  his  camp,  and  as  soon  as  matters 
can  be  arranged  the  battle  must  take  place." 

"There  is  nothing  else  to  be  done,"  said  Alberdin 
in  a  troubled  voice ;  "  but  I  shall  take  care  that  the 
boy  receives  no  injury  if  it  can  possibly  be  avoided." 

The  three  now  retraced  their  steps,  and  in  a  few 
days  were  settled  down,  Alberdin  in  his  tent  in  the 
plain,  and  Salim  and  Phedo  in  their  intreuchments  on 
the  other  side  of  the  low  mountain.  The  old  man  now 
gave  himself  up  to  deep  thought.  He  had  discovered 
the  germ  of  Alberdin 's  trouble  ;  and  in  a  few  days  he 
had  arranged  his  plans,  and  went  over  to  see  the  young 
man. 

"It  has  been  determined,"  said  he,  "that  a  syndi 
cate  is  to  be  formed  to  attend  to  this  business  for 
Phedo." 

4  4  A  syndicate  !  ' '  cried  Alberdin.     < '  What  is  that  ? ' ' 

"A  syndic,"  answered  Salim,  "  is  a  person  who 
attends  to  business  for  others ;  and  a  syndicate  is  a 
body  of  men  who  are  able  to  conduct  certain  affairs 
better  than  any  individual  can  do  it.  In  a  week  from 


THE  BATTLE  OF  THE  THIRD   COUSINS.        153 

to-day,  Phedo's  syndicate  will  meet  you  in  the  large 
plain  outside  of  the  capital  city.  There  the  contest 
will  take  place.  Shall  you  be  ready?  " 

**  I  don't  exactly  understand  it,"  said  Alberdin, 
"but!  shall  be  there." 

General  notice  was  given  of  the  coming  battle  of  the 
contestants  for  the  throne,  and  thousands  of  the  inhab 
itants  of  the  Autocracy  assembled  on  the  plain  on  the 
appointed  day.  The  Princess  with  her  ladies  was 
there ;  and  as  everybody  was  interested,  everybody 
was  anxious  to  see  what  would  happen. 

Alberdiu  rode  into  the  open  space  in  the  centre  of 
the  plain,  and  demanded  that  his  antagonist  should 
appear.  Thereupon  old  Salim  came  forward,  leading 
Phedo  by  the  hand. 

'•  This  is  the  opposing  heir,"  he  said  ;  u  but  as  every 
one  can  see  that  he  is  too  young  to  fight  a  battle,  a 
syndicate  has  been  appointed  to  attend  to  the  matter 
for  him  ;  and  there  is  nothing  in  the  will  of  the  late 
Autocrat  which  forbids  this  arrangement.  The  syndi 
cate  will  now  appear." 

At  this  command  there  came  into  the  arena  a  horse 
man  heavily  armed,  a  tall  foot  soldier  completely 
equipped  for  action,  an  artilleryman  with  a  small  can 
non  on  wheels,  a  sailor  with  a  boarding-pike  and  a 
drawn  cutlass,  and  a  soldier  with  a  revolving  gun  which 
discharged  one  hundred  and  twenty  balls  a  minute. 

kk  All  being  ready,"  exclaimed  Salim,  "  the  combat 
for  the  Autocrac}'  will  begin  !  " 

Alberdin  took  a  good  long  look  at  the  syndicate 
ranged  before  him.  Then  he  dismounted  from  his 


154         THE  BATTLE   OF   THE   THIRD   COUSINS. 

horse,  drew  his  sword,  and  stuck  it,  point  downward, 
into  the  sand. 

"  I  surrender !  "  he  said. 

"  So  do  I !  "  cried  the  Princess,  running  toward  him, 
and  throwing  herself  into  his  arms. 

The  eyes  of  Alberdin  sparkled  with  joy. 

"  Let  the  Autocracy  go  !  "  he  cried.  "  Now  that  I 
have  my  Princess,  the  throne  and  the  crown  are  noth 
ing  to  me." 

'k  So  long  as  I  have  you,"  returned  the  Princess,  u  I 
am  content  to  resign  all  the  comforts  and  advantages 
to  which  I  have  been  accustomed." 

Phedo,  who  had  been  earnestly  talking  with  his  tu 
tor,  now  looked  up. 

"  You  shall  not  resign  any  thing  !  "  he  cried.  "We 
are  all  of  the  same  blood,  and  we  will  join  together 
and  form  a  royal  family,  and  we  will  all  live  at  the 
palace.  Alberdin  and  my  tutor  shall  manage  the  gov 
ernment  for  me  until  I  am  grown  up  ;  and  if  I  have  to 
go  to  school  for  a  few  years,  I  suppose  I  must.  And 
that  is  all  there  is  about  it !  " 

The  syndicate  was  now  ordered  to  retire  and  dis 
band  ;  the  heralds  proclaimed  Phedo  the  conquering 
heir,  and  the  people  cheered  and  shouted  with  delight. 
All  the  virtues  of  the  late  Autocrat  had  come  to  him 
from  his  mother,  and  the  citizens  of  Mutjado  much 
preferred  to  have  a  new  ruler  from  the  mother's 
family. 

44 1  hope  you  bear  no  grudge  against  me,"  said 
Salim  to  Alberdin ;  "  but  if  you  had  been  willing  to 
wait  for  thirteen  years,  you  and  Phedo  might  have 


THE  BATTLE   OF  THE   THIRD   COUSINS.         155 

fought  on  equal  terms.  As  it  is  now,  it  would  have 
been  as  hard  for  him  to  conquer  you,  as  for  you  to  con 
quer  the  syndicate.  The  odds  would  have  been  quite 
as  great." 

"Don't  mention  it,"  said  Alberdin.  "I  prefer 
things  as  they  are.  I  should  have  hated  to  drive  the 
boy  away,  and  deprive  him  of  a  position  which  the 
people  wish  him  to  have.  Now  we  are  all  satisfied." 

Phedo  soon  began  to  show  signs  that  he  would  prob 
ably  make  a  very  good  Autocrat.  He  declared  that  if 
he  was  to  be  assisted  by  ministers  and  cabinet  officers 
when  he  came  to  the  throne,  he  would  like  them  to  be 
persons  who  had  been  educated  for  their  positions,  just 
as  he  was  to  be  educated  for  his  own.  Consequently 
he  chose  for  the  head  of  his  cabinet  a  bright  and  sensi 
ble  boy,  and  had  him  educated  as  a  Minister  of  State. 
For  Minister  of  Finance,  he  chose  another  boy  with  a 
very  honest  countenance,  and  for  the  other  members 
of  his  cabinet,  suitable  youths  were  selected.  He  also 
said,  that  he  thought  there  ought  to  be  another  officer, 
one  who  would  be  a  sort  of  Minister  of  General  Com 
fort,  who  would  keep  an  eye  on  the  health  and  happi 
ness  of  the  subjects,  and  would  also  see  that  every 
thing  went  all  right  in  the  palace,  not  only  in  regard 
to  meals,  but  lots  of  other  things.  For  this  office  he 
chose  a  bright  young  girl,  and  had  her  educated  for 
the  position  of  Queen. 


THE  BANISHED  KING. 


npHERE  was  once  a  kingdom  in  which  every  thing 
-L  seemed  to  go  wrong.  Everybody  knew  this,  and 
everybody  talked  about  it,  especially  the  King.  The 
bad  state  of  affairs  troubled  him  more  than  it  did  any 
one  else,  but  he  could  think  of  no  way  to  make  them 
better. 

"I  cannot  bear  to  see  things  going  on  so  badly,"  he 
said  to  the  Queen  and  his  chief  councillors.  "  I  wish  I 
knew  how  other  kingdoms  were  governed." 

One  of  his  councillors  offered  to  go  to  some  other 
countries,  and  see  how  they  were  governed,  and  come 
back  and  tell  him  all  about  it,  but  this  did  not  suit  his 
majesty. 

"  You  would  simply  return,"  he  said,  "  and  give  me 
your  ideas  about  things.  I  want  my  own  ideas." 

The  Queen  then  suggested  that  he  should  take  a 
vacation,  and  visit  other  kingdoms,  and  see  for  himself 
how  things  were  managed  in  them. 

This  did  not  suit  the  king.     "  A  vacation  would  not 
answer,"  he  said.     "  I  should  not  be  gone  a  week  be 
fore  something  would  happen  here  which  would  make 
it  necessary  for  me  to  come  back." 
156 


THE  BANISHED  KING.  157 

The  Queen  then  suggested  that  he  be  banished  for  a 
certain  time,  say  a  year.  In  that  case  he  could  not 
come  back,  and  would  be  at  full  liberty  to  visit  foreign 
kingdoms,  and  find  out  how  they  were  governed. 

This  plan  pleased  the  King.  tk  If  it  were  made  im 
possible  for  me  to  come  back,"  he  said,  u  of  course  I 
could  not  do  it.  The  scheme  is  a  good  one.  Let  me 
be  banished."  And  he  gave  orders  that  his  council 
should  pass  a  law  banishing  him  for  one  year. 

Preparations  were  immediately  begun  to  carry  out 
this  plan,  and  in  day  or  two  the  King  bade  farewell  to 
the  Queen,  and  left  his  kingdom,  a  banished  man.  He 
went  away  on  foot,  entirely  unattended.  But,  as  he 
did  not  wish  to  cut  off  all  communication  between  him 
self  and  his  kingdom,  he  made  an  arrangement  which 
he  thought  a  very  good  one.  At  easy  shouting  dis 
tance  behind  him  walked  one  of  the  officers  of  the 
court,  and  at  shouting  distance  behind  him  walked 
another,  and  so  on  at  distances  of  about  a  hundred 
yards  from  each  other.  In  this  way  there  would 
always  be  a  line  of  men  extending  from  the  King 
to  his  palace.  Whenever  the  King  had  walked  a 
hundred  yards  the  line  moved  on  after  him,  and 
another  officer  was  put  in  the  gap  between  the  last 
man  and  the  palace  door.  Thus,  as  the  King  walked 
on,  his  line  of  followers  lengthened,  and  was  never 
broken.  Whenever  he  had  any  message  to  send 
to  the  Queen,  or  any  other  person  in  the  palace,  he 
shouted  it  to  the  officer  next  him,  who  shouted  it  to  the 
one  next  to  him,  and  it  was  so  passed  on  until  it 
reached  the  palace.  If  he  needed  food,  clothes,  or  any 


158  THE  BANISHED  KING. 

other  necessary  thing,  the  order  for  it  was  shouted 
along  the  line,  and  the  article  was  passed  to  him  from 
man  to  man,  each  one  carrying  it  forward  to  his  neigh 
bor,  and  then  retiring  to  his  proper  place. 

In  this  way  the  King  walked  on  day  by  day  until  he 
had  passed  entirely  out  of  his  own  kingdom.  At  night 
he  stopped  at  some  convenient  house  on  the  road,  and 
if  any  of  his  followers  did  not  find  himself  near  a  house 
or  cottage  when  the  King  shouted  back  the  order  to 
halt,  he  laid  himself  down  to  sleep  wherever  he  might 
be.  By  this  time  the  increasing  line  of  followers  had 
used  up  all  the  officers  of  the  court,  and  it  became 
necessary  to  draw  upon  some  of  the  under  government 
officers  in  order  to  keep  the  line  perfect. 

The  King  had  not  gone  very  far  outside  the  limits  of 
his  dominions  when  he  met  a  Sphinx.  He  had  often 
heard  of  these  creatures,  although  he  had  never  seen 
one  before.  But  when  he  saw  the  winged  body  of  a 
lion  with  a  woman's  head,  he  knew  instantly  what  it 
was.  He  knew,  also,  that  the  chief  business  of  a 
Sphinx  was  that  of  asking  people  questions,  and  then 
getting  them  into  trouble  if  the  right  answers  were  not 
given.  He  therefore  determined  that  he  would  not  be 
caught  by  any  such  tricks  as  these,  and  that  he  would 
be  on  his  guard  if  the  Sphinx  spoke  to  him.  The 
creature  was  lying  down  when  the  King  first  saw  it, 
but  when  he  approached  nearer  it  rose  to  its  feet. 
There  was  nothing  savage  about  its  look,  and  the  King 
was  not  at  all  afraid. 

4 'Where  are  you  going?"  said  the  Sphinx  to  him, 
in  a  pleasant  voice. 


THE  BANISHED  KING.  159 

•*  Give  it  up,"  replied  the  King. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  "  said  the  other,  with 
an  air  of  surprise. 

"  I  give  that  up,  too,"  said  the  King. 

The  Sphinx  then  looked  at  him  quite  astonished. 

"  I  don't  mind  telling  you,"  said  the  King,  "of  my 
own  free  will,  and  not  in  answer  to  any  questions,  that 
I  do  not  know  where  I  am  going.  I  am  a  King,  as 
you  may  have  noticed,  and  I  have  been  banished  from 
my  kingdom  for  a  year.  I  am  now  going  to  look  into 
the  government  of  other  countries  in  order  that  I  may 
find  out  what  it  is  that  is  wrong  in  my  own  kingdom. 
Every  thing  goes  badly,  and  there  is  something  very 
faulty  at  the  bottom  of  it  all.  What  this  is  1  want  to 
discover." 

"  I  am  much  interested  in  puzzles  and  matters  of 
that  kind,"  said  the  Sphinx,  "  and  if  you  like  I  will  go 
with  you  and  help  to  find  out  what  is  wrong  in  your 
kingdom." 

"All  right,"  said  the  king.  "I  shall  be  glad  of 
your  company." 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  this  long  line  of  people 
following  you  at  regular  distances?"  asked  the 
Sphinx. 

44  Give  it  up,"  said  the  King. 

The  Sphinx  laughed. 

"  I  don't  mind  telling  you,"  said  the  King,  "of  my 
own  free  will,  and  not  in  answer  to  any  question,  that 
these  men  form  a  line  of  communication  between  me 
and  my  kingdom,  where  matters,  I  fear,  must  be  going 
on  worse  than  ever,  m  my  absence." 


160  THE  BANISHED  KING. 

The  two  now  travelled  on  together  until  they  came  to 
a  high  hill,  from  which  they  could  see,  not  very  far 
away,  a  large  city. 

"  That  city,"  said  the  Sphinx,  "  is  the  capital  of  an 
extensive  country.  It  is  governed  by  a  king  of  min 
gled  sentiments.  Suppose  we  go  there.  I  think  you 
will  find  a  government  that  is  rather  peculiar." 

The  King  consented,  and  they  walked  down  the  hill 
toward  the  city. 

"How  did  the  King  get  his  sentiments  mingled?" 
asked  the  King. 

tkl  really  don't  know  how  it  began,"  said  the 
Sphinx,  "but  the  King,  when  a  young  man,  had  so 
many  sentiments  of  different  kinds,  and  he  mingled 
them  up  so  much,  that  no  one  could  ever  tell  exactly 
what  he  thought  on  any  particular  subject.  Of  course, 
his  people  gradually  got  into  the  same  frame  of  mind, 
and  you  never  can  know  in  this  kingdom  exactly  what 
people  think  or  what  they  are  going  to  do.  You  will 
find  all  sorts  of  people  here :  giants,  dwarfs,  fairies, 
gnomes,  and  personages  of  that  kind,  who  have  been 
drawn  here  by  the  mingled  sentiments  of  the  people. 
I,  myself,  came  into  these  parts  because  the  people 
every  now  and  then  take  a  great  fancy  to  puzzles  and 
riddles." 

On  entering  the  city,  the  King  was  cordially  wel 
comed  by  his  brother  sovereign,  to  whom  he  told  his 
story  ;  and  he  was  lodged  in  a  room  in  the  palace. 
Such  of  his  followers  as  came  within  the  limits  of  the 
city  were  entertained  by  the  persons  near  to  whose 
houses  they  found  themselves  when  the  line  halted. 


THE  BANISHED  KING.  161 

Every  day  the  Sphinx  went  with  him  to  see  the 
sights  of  this  strange  city.  They  took  long  walks 
through  the  streets,  and  sometimes  into  the  surround 
ing  country  —  always  going  one  way  and  returning 
another,  the  Spl '^x  being  very  careful  never  to  bring 
the  King  back  by  the  same  road  or  street  by  which  they 
went.  In  this  way  the  King's  line  of  followers,  which, 
of  course,  lengthened  out  every  time  he  took  a  walk, 
came  to  be  arranged  in  long  loops  through  many  parts 
of  the  city  and  suburbs. 

Many  of  the  things  the  King  saw  showed  plainly  the 
mingled  sentiments  of  the  people.  For  instance,  he 
would  one  day  visit  a  great  smith's  shop,  where  heavy 
masses  of  iron  were  being  forged,  the  whole  place  re 
sounding  with  tremendous  blows  from  heavy  hammers, 
and  the  clank  and  din  of  iron  on  the  anvils ;  while 
the  next  day  he  would  find  the  place  transformed 
into  a  studio,  where  the  former  blacksmith  was  paint 
ing  dainty  little  pictures  on  the  delicate  surface  of 
egg-shells.  The  king  of  the  country,  in  his  treatment 
of  his  visitor,  showed  his  peculiar  nature  very  plainly. 
Sometimes  he  would  receive  him  with  enthusiastic 
delight,  while  at  others  he  would  upbraid  him  with 
having  left  his  dominions  to  go  wandering  around  the 
earth  in  this  senseless  way.  One  day  his  host  invited 
him  to  attend  a  royal  dinner,  but,  when  he  went  to  the 
grand  dining-hall,  pleased  with  anticipations  of  a  splen 
did  feast,  he  found  that  the  sentiments  of  his  majesty 
had  become  mingled,  and  that  he  had  determined, 
instead  of  having  a  dinner,  to  conduct  the  funeral  ser 
vices  of  one  of  his  servants  who  had  died  the  day  be 


162  THE  BANISHED  KING. 

fore.  All  the  guests  were  obliged  by  politeness  to  re 
main  during  the  ceremonies,  which  our  King,  not  hav 
ing  been  acquainted  with  the  deceased  servant,  had 
not  found  at  all  interesting. 

"  Now,"  said  the  King  to  the  Sphinx,  "I  am  in 
favor  of  moving  on.  I  am  tired  of  this  place,  where 
every  sentiment  is  so  mingled  with  others  that  you  can 
never  tell  what  anybody  really  thinks  or  feels.  I  don't 
believe  any  one  in  this  country  was  ever  truly  glad 
or  sorry.  They  mix  one  sentiment  so  quickly  with 
another  that  they  never  can  discover  the  actual  ingre 
dients  of  any  of  their  impulses." 

"When  this  King  first  began  to  mingle  his  senti 
ments,"  said  the  Sphinx,  "it  was  because  he  always 
desired  to  think  and  feel  exactly  right.  He  did  not 
wish  his  feelings  to  run  too  much  one  way  or  the 
other." 

"And  so  he  is  never  either  right  or  wrong,"  said  the 
King.  "  I  don't  like  that,  at  all.  I  want  to  be  one 
thing  or  the  other." 

"  I  have  wasted  a  good  deal  of  time  at  this  place," 
remarked  the  King,  as  they  walked  on,  "  and  I  have 
seen  and  heard  nothing  which  I  wish  to  teach  my 
people.  But  I  must  find  out  some  way  to  prevent 
every  thing  going  wrong  in  my  kingdom.  I  have  tried 
plan  after  plan,  and  sometimes  two  or  three  together, 
and  have  kept  this  up  year  after  year,  and  yet  nothing 
seems  to  do  my  kingdom  any  good." 

"  Have  you  heard  how  things  are  going  on  there 
now?  "  asked  the  Sphinx. 

"  Give  it  up,"  said  the  King.     "But  I  don't  mind 


THE  BANISHED   KING,  163 

saying  of  my  own  accord,  and  not  as  answer  to  any 
question,  that  1  have  sent  a  good  many  communica 
tions  to  my  Queen,  but  have  never  received  any  from 
hei .  So  I  do  not  know  how  things  are  going  on  in  my 
kingdom." 

They  then  travelled  on,  the  long  line  of  followers 
coining  after,  keeping  their  relative  positions  a  hundred 
yards  apart,  and  passing  over  all  the  ground  the  King 
had  traversed  in  his  circuitous  walks  about  the  city. 
Thus  the  line  crept  along  like  an  enormous  snake  in 
straight  lines,  loops,  and  coils ;  and  every  time  the 
King  walked  a  hundred  yards  a  fresh  man  from  his 
capital  city  was  obliged  to  take  his  place  at  the  tail  of 
the  procession. 

"•  B}r  the  way,"  said  the  Sphinx,  after  they  had 
walked  an  hour  or  more,  "  if  you  want  to  see  a 
kingdom  where  there  really  is  something  to  learn,  you 
ought  to  go  to  the  country  of  the  Gaumers,  which  we 
are  now  approaching." 

"  All  right,"  said  the  King.     "  Let  us  go  there." 

In  the  course  of  the  afternoon  they  reached  the  edge 
of  a  high  bluff.  "On  the  level  ground,  beneath  this 
precipice,"  said  the  Sphinx,  "  is  the  country  of  the 
dwarfs  called  Gaumers.  You  can  sit  on  the  edge  of 
the  bluff  and  look  down  upon  it." 

The  King  and  the  Sphinx  then  sat  down,  and 
looked  out  from  the  edge  over  the  country  of  the  little 
people.  The  officer  of  the  court  who  had  formed  the 
head  of  the  line  wished  very  much  to  see  what  they 
were  looking  at,  but,  when  the  line  halted,  he  was  not 
near  enough. 


164  THE  BANISHED   KING. 

"  You  will  notice,"  said  the  Sphinx,  "  that  the  little 
houses  and  huts  are  gathered  together  in  clusters. 
Each  one  of  these  clusters  is  under  a  separate  king. 

"  Why  don't  they  all  live  under  one  ruler?  "  asked 
the  King.  "  That  is  the  proper  way." 

"They  do  not  think  so,' '  said  the  Sphinx.  "  In  each 
of  these  clusters  live  the  Gaumers  who  are  best  suited 
to  each  other;  and,  if  any  Gaumer  finds  he  cannot 
get  along  in  one  cluster,  he  goes  to  another.  The 
kings  are  chosen  from  among  the  very  best  of  them, 
and  each  one  is  alwa}Ts  very  anxious  to  please  his  sub 
jects.  He  knows  that  every  thing  that  he,  and  his 
queen,  and  his  children  eat,  or  drink,  or  wear,  or  have 
must  be  given  to  him  by  his  subjects,  and  if  it  were 
not  for  them  he  could  not  be  their  ruler.  And  so  he 
does  every  thing  that  he  can  to  make  them  happy  and 
contented,  for  he  knows  if  he  does  not  please  them 
and  govern  them  well,  they  will  gradually  drop  off  from 
him  and  go  to  other  clusters,  and  he  will  be  left  with 
out  any  people  or  any  kingdom." 

"That  is  a  very  queer  way  of  ruling,"  said  the 
King.  "I  think  the  people  ought  to  try  to  please 
their  sovereign." 

"  He  is  only  one,  and  they  are  a  great  many,"  said 
the  Sphinx.  "  Consequently  they  are  much  more 
important.  No  subject  is  ever  allowed  to  look  down 
upon  a  king,  simply  because  he  helps  to  feed  and 
clothe  him,  and  send  his  children  to  school.  If  any 
one  does  a  thing  of  this  kind,  he  is  banished  until  he 
learns  better." 

"  All  that  may  be  very  well  for  Gaumers,"  said  th« 


THE  BANISHED   KING.  165 

King,  "  but  I  can  learn  nothing  from  a  government 
like  that,  where  every  thing  seems  to  be  working  in  an 
opposite  direction  from  what  everybody  knows  is  right 
and  proper.  A  king  anxious  to  deserve  the  good 
opinion  of  his  subjects !  What  nonsense !  It  ought 
to  be  just  the  other  way.  The  ideas  of  this  people  are 
as  dwarfish  as  their  bodies." 

The  King  now  arose  and  took  up  the  line  of  march, 
turning  away  from  the  country  of  the  Gaumers.  But 
he  had  not  gone  more  than  two  or  three  hundred  yards 
before  he  received  a  message  from  the  Queen.  It 
came  to  him  very  rapidly,  every  man  in  the  line  seem 
ing  anxious  to  shout  it  to  the  man  ahead  of  him  as 
quickly  as  possible.  The  messsge  was  to  the  effect 
that  he  must  either  stop  where  he  was  or  come  home  : 
his  constantly  lengthening  line  of  communication  had 
used  up  all  the  chief  officers  of  the  government,  all  the 
clerks  in  the  departments,  and  all  the  officials  of  every 
grade,  excepting  the  few  who  were  actually  needed  to 
carry  on  the  government,  and  if  any  more  men  went 
into  the  line  it  would  be  necessary  to  call  upon  the 
laborers  and  other  persons  who  could  not  be  spared. 

"  I  think,"  said  the  Sphinx,  "  that  you  have  made 
your  line  long  enough." 

44  And  I  think,"  said  the  King.  "  that  you  made  it 
a  great  deal  longer  than  it  need  to  have  been,  by  taking 
me  about  in  such  winding  ways." 

"  It  may  be  so,"  said  the  Sphinx,  with  its  mystic 
smile. 

"  Well,  I  am  not  going  to  stop  here,"  said  the  King, 
"  and  so  I  might  as  well  go  back  as  soon  as  I  can." 


166  THE   BANISHED  KING. 

And  he  shouted  to  the  head  man  of  the  line  to  pass  on 
the  order  that  his  edict  of  banishment  be  revoked. 

In  a  very  short  time  the  news  came  that  the  edict 
was  revoked.  The  King  then  commanded  that  the 
procession  return  home,  tail-end  foremost.  The  march 
was  at  once  begun,  each  man,  as  he  reached  the  city, 
going  immediately  to  his  home  and  family. 

The  King  and  the  greater  part  of  the  line  had  a  long 
and  weary  journey,  as  they  followed  each  other  through 
the  country  and  over  the  devious  ways  in  which  the 
Sphinx  had  led  them  in  the  City  of  Mingled  Senti 
ments.  The  King  was  obliged  to  pursue  all  these 
complicated  turnings,  or  be  separated  from  his  officers, 
and  so  break  up  his  communication  with  his  palace. 
The  Sphinx  accompanied  him. 

When  at  last,  he  reached  his  palace,  his  line  of 
former  followers  having  apparently  melted  entirely 
away,  he  hurried  up-stairs  to  the  Queen,  leaving  the 
Sphinx  in  the  court-yard. 

The  King  found,  when  he  had  time  to  look  into  the 
affairs  of  his  dominions,  that  every  thing  was  in  the 
most  admirable  condition.  The  Queen  had  retained  a 
few  of  the  best  officials  to  carry  on  the  government, 
and  had  ordered  the  rest  to  fall,  one  by  one,  into  the 
line  of  communication.  The  King  set  himself  to  work 
to  think  about  the  matter.  It  was  not  long  before  he 
came  to  the  conclusion  that  the  main  thing  which  had 
been  wrong  in  his  kingdom  was  himself.  He  was  so 
greatly  impressed  with  this  idea  that  he  went  down  to 
the  court-yard  to  speak  to  the  Sphinx  about  it. 

"  I  dare  say  you  are  right,"  said  the  Sphinx,  "  and 


THE  BANISHED  KING.  167 

I  don't  wonder  that  what  you  learned  when  you  were 
away,  and  what  you  have  seen  since  you  came  back, 
have'  made  you  feel  certain  that  you  .were  the  cause  of 
every  thing  going  wrong  in  this  kingdom.  And  now, 
what  do  you  intend  to  do  about  your  government  ?  ' ' 

"Give  it  up,"  promptly  replied  the  King. 

"That  is  exactly  what  J  should  advise,"  said  the 
Sphinx. 

The  King  did  give  up  his  kingdom.  He  was  con 
vinced  that  being  a  King  was  exactly  the  thing  he  was 
not  suited  for,  and  that  he  would  get  on  much  better 
in  some  other  business  or  profession.  He  determined 
to  be  a  traveller  and  explorer,  and  to  go  abroad  into 
other  countries  to  find  out  things  that  might  be  useful 
to  his  own  nation.  His  Queen  had  shown  that  she 
could  govern  the  country  most  excellently,  and  it  was 
not  at  all  necessary  for  him  to  stay  at  home.  She  had 
ordered  all  the  men  who  had  made  up  his  line  to  follow 
the  King's  example  and  to  go  into  some  good  business  ; 
in  order  that  not  being  bothered  with  so  many  officers, 
she  would  be  able  to  get  along  quite  easily. 

The  King  was  very  successful  in  his  new  pursuit,  and 
although  he  did  not  this  time  have  a  line  of  followers 
connecting  him  with  the  palace,  he  frequently  sent 
home  messages  which  were  of  use  and  value  to  his 
nation. 

UI  may  as  well  retire,"  said  the  Sphinx  to  itself. 
"  As  the  King  has  found  his  vocation  and  every  thing 
is  going  all  right  it  is  not  necessary  I  should  remain 
where  I  may  be  looked  upon  as  a  questionable 
personage." 


THE    PHILOPENA. 


rTlHERE  were  once  a  Prince  and  a  Princess  who, 
-A-  when  quite  young,  ate  a  philopena  together.  They 
agreed  that  the  one  who,  at  any  hour  after  sunrise 
the  next  day,  should  accept  any  thing  from  the  other 
— the  giver  at  the  same  time  saying  u  Philopena  !  "  — 
should  be  the  loser,  and  that  the  loser  should  marry 
the  other. 

They  did  not  meet  as  soon  as  they  had  expected  the 
next  day ;  and  at  the  time  our  story  begins,  many 
years  had  elapsed  since  they  had  seen  each  other,  and 
the  Prince  and  the  Princess  were  nearly  grown  up. 
They  often  thought  of  the  philopena  they  had  eaten 
together,  and  wondered  if  they  should  know  each  other 
when  they  met.  He  remembered  her  as  a  pretty  little 
girl  dressed  in  green  silk  and  playing  with  a  snow- 
white  cat ;  while  she  remembered  him  as  a  handsome 
boy,  wearing  a  little  sword,  the  handle  of  which  was 
covered  with  jewels.  But  they  knew  that  each  must 
have  changed  a  great  deal  in  all  this  time. 

Neither  of  these  young  people  had  any  parents  ;  the 
Prince  lived  with  guardians  and  the  Princess  witt 
uncles. 


THE  PHILOPENA.  169 

The  guardians  of  the  Prince  were  very  enterprising 
and  energetic  men,  and  were  allowed  to  govern  the 
country  until  the  Prince  came  of  age.  The  capital  city 
was  a  very  fine  city  when  the  old  king  died ;  but  the 
guardians  thought  it  might  be  much  finer,  so  they  set 
to  work  with  all  their  might  and  main  to  improve  it. 
They  tore  down  old  houses  and  made  a  great  many 
new  streets ;  they  built  grand  and  splendid  bridges 
over  the  river  on  which  the  city  stood  ;  they  constructed 
aqueducts  to  bring  water  from  streams  many  miles 
away ;  and  they  were  at  work  all  the  time  upon  some 
extensive  building  enterprise. 

The  Prince  did  not  take  much  interest  in  the  works 
which  were  going  on  under  direction  of  his  guardians ; 
and  when  he  rode  out,  he  preferred  to  go  into  the  coun 
try  or  to  ride  through  some  of  the  quaint  old  streets, 
where  nothing  had  been  changed  for  hundreds  of 
years. 

The  uncles  of  the  Princess  were  very  different  people 
from  the  guardians  of  the  Prince.  There  were  three 
of  them,  and  they  were  very  quiet  and  cosey  old  men, 
who  disliked  any  kind  of  bustle  or  disturbance,  and 
wished  that  every  thing  might  remain  as  they  had 
always  known  it.  It  even  worried  them  a  little  to  find 
that  the  Princess  was  growing  up.  They  would  have 
much  preferred  that  she  should  remain  exactly  as  she 
was  when  they  first  took  charge  of  her.  Then  they 
never  would  have  been  obliged  to  trouble  their  minds 
about  any  changes  in  the  manner  of  taking  care  of  her. 
But  they  did  not  worry  their  minds  very  much,  after 
all.  They  wished  to  make  her  guardianship  as  little 


1VU  THE  PHILOPENA. 

laborious  or  exhausting  as  possible,  and  so,  divided  the 
work  ;  one  of  them  took  charge  of  her  education,  an 
other  of  her  food  and  lodging,  and  the  third  of  her 
dress.  The  first  sent  for  teachers,  and  told  them  to 
teach  her ;  the  second  had  handsome  apartments  pre 
pared  for  her  use,  and  gave  orders  that  she  should 
have  every  thing  she  needed  to  eat  and  drink ;  while 
the  third  commanded  that  she  should  have  a  complete 
outfit  of  new  clothes  four  times  a  year.  Thus  every 
thing  went  on  very  quietly  and  smoothly  ;  and  the  three 
uncles  were  not  obliged  to  exhaust  themselves  by  hard 
work.  There  were  never  any  new  houses  built  in  that 
city,  and  if  any  thing  had  to  be  repaired,  it  was  done 
with  as  little  noise  and  dirt  as  possible.  The  city  and 
the  whole  kingdon  were  quiet  and  serene,  and  the 
three  uncles  dozed  away  most  of  the  day  in  three  great 
comfortable  thrones. 

Everybody  seemed  satisfied  with  this  state  of  things 
except  the  Princess.  She  often  thought  to  herself  that 
nothing  would  be  more  delightful  than  a  little  noise 
and  motion,  and  she  wondered  if  the  whole  world 
were  as  quiet  as  the  city  in  which  she  lived.  At  last, 
she  became  unable  to  bear  the  dreadful  stillness  of  the 
place  any  longer ;  but  she  could  think  of  nothing  to  do 
but  to  go  and  try  to  find  the  Prince  with  whom  she  had 
eaten  a  philopena.  If  she  should  win,  he  must  marry 
her ;  and  then,  perhaps,  they  could  settle  down  in  some 
place  where  things  would  be  bright  and  lively.  So, 
early  one  morning,  she  put  on  her  white  dress,  and 
mounting  her  prancing  black  horse,  she  rode  away  from 
the  city.  Only  one  person  saw  her  go,  for  nearly  all 
the  people  were  asleep. 


THE  PHI  LOP  EN  A.  171 

About  this  time,  the  Prince  made  up  his  mind  that 
he  could  no  longer  stand  the  din  and  confusion,  the 
everlasting  up-setting  and  setting-up  in  his  native  city. 
He  would  go  away,  and  see  if  he  could  find  the  Prin 
cess  with  whom  he  had  eaten  a  philopena.  If  he 
should  win,  she  would  be  obliged  to  marry  him ;  and 
then,  perhaps,  they  could  settle  down  in  some  place 
where  it  was  quiet  and  peaceful.  So,  011  the  same 
morning  in  which  the  Princess  rode  away,  he  put  on  a 
handsome  suit  of  black  clothes,  and  mounting  a  gentle 
white  horse,  he  rode  out  of  the  city.  Only  one  person 
saw  him  go ;  for,  even  at  that  early  hour,  the  people 
were  so  busy  that  little  attention  was  paid  to  his  move 
ments. 

About  half  way  between  these  two  cities,  in  a  tall 
tower  which  stood  upon  a  hill,  there  lived  an  Inquisi 
tive  Dwarf,  whose  whole  object  in  life  was  to  find  out 
what  people  were  doing  and  why  they  did  it.  From 
the  top  of  this  tower  he  generally  managed  to  see  all 
that  was  going  on  in  the  surrounding  country ;  and  in 
each  of  the  two  cities  that  have  been  mentioned  he  had 
an  agent,  whose  duty  it  was  to  send  him  word,  by 
means  of  carrier  pigeons,  whenever  a  new  thing  hap 
pened.  Before  breakfast,  on  the  morning  when  the 
Prince  and  Princess  rode  away,  a  pigeon  from  the  city 
of  the  Prince  came  flying  to  the  tower  of  the  Inquisi 
tive  Dwarf. 

u  Some  new  building  started,  I  suppose,"  said  the 
Dwarf,  as  he  took  the  little  roll  of  paper  from  under 
the  pigeon's  wing.  "But  no;  it  is  very  different! 
4  The  Prince  has  ridden  away  from  the  city  alone,  and 
is  travelling:  to  the  north.'  " 


172  THE  PHILOPENA. 

But  before  he  could  begin  to  puzzle  his  brains  about 
the  meaning  of  this  departure,  another  pigeon  came 
flying  in  from  the  city  of  the  Princess. 

"  Well !  "  cried  the  Dwarf,  "  this  is  amazing !  It  is 
a  long  time  since  I  have  had  a  message  from  that  city, 
and  my  agent  has  been  drawing  his  salary  without 
doing  an}7  workc  What  possibly  can  have  happened 
there?" 

When  he  read  that  the  Princess  had  ridden  alone 
from  the  city  that  morning,  and  was  travelling  to  the 
south,  he  was  truly  amazed. 

"  What  on  earth  can  it  mean?  "  he  exclaimed.  "  If 
the  city  of  the  Prince  were  to  the  south  of  that 
of  the  Princess,  then  I  might  understand  it ;  for  they 
would  be  going  to  see  each  other,  and  that  would  be 
natural  enough.  But  as  his  city  is  to  the  north  of  her 
city,  they  are  travelling  in  opposite  directions.  And 
what  is  the  meaning  of  this  ?  I  most  certainly  must 
find  out." 

The  Inquisitive  Dwarf  had  three  servants  whom  he 
employed  to  attend  to  his  most  important  business. 
These  were  a  Gryphoness,  a  Water  Sprite,  and  an 
Absolute  Fool.  This  last  one  was  very  valuable  ;  for 
there  were  some  things  he  would  do  which  no  one  else 
would  think  of  attempting.  The  Dwarf  called  to  him 
the  Gryphoness,  the  oldest  and  most  discreet  of  the 
three,  and  told  her  of  the  departure  of  the  Princess. 

"  Hasten  southward,"  he  said,  "  as  fast  as  you  can, 
and  follow  her,  and  do  not  return  to  me  until  you  have 
found  out  why  she  left  her  city,  where  she  is  going, 
and  what  she  expects  to  do  when  she  gets  there. 


THE  PBILOPENA.  178 

Your  appearance  may  frighten  her;  and,  therefore 
you  must  take  with  you  the  Absolute  Fool,  to  whorn 
she  will  probably  be  willing  to  talk  ;  but  you  must  see 
that  every  thing  is  managed  properly." 

Having  despatched  these  two,  the  Inquisitive  Dwarf 
then  called  the  Water  Sprite,  who  was  singing  to  her 
self  at  the  edge  of  a  fountain,  and  telling  her  of  the 
departure  of  the  Prince,  ordered  her  to  follow  him,  and 
not  to  return  until  she  had  found  out  why  he  left  his 
city,  where  he  was  going,  and  what  he  intended  to  do 
when  he  got  there. 

4 'The  road  to  the  north,"  he  said,  "lies  along  the 
river  bank ;  therefore,  you  can  easily  keep  him  com 
pany." 

The  Water  Sprite  bowed,  and  dancing  over  the  dewy 
grass  to  the  river,  threw  herself  into  it.  Sometimes 
she  swam  beneath  the  clear  water ;  sometimes  she  rose 
partly  in  the  air,  where  she  seemed  like  a  little  cloud 
of  sparkling  mist  borne  onward  by  the  wind ;  and 
sometimes  she  floated  upon  the  surface,  her  pale  blue 
robes  undulating  with  the  gentle  waves,  while  her  white 
hands  and  feet  shone  in  the  sun  like  tiny  crests  of 
foam.  Thus,  singing  to  herself,  she  went  joyously 
and  rapidly  on,  aided  by  a  full,  strong  wind  from  the 
south.  She  did  not  forget  to  glance  every  now  and 
then  upon  the  road  which  ran  along  the  river  bank  ; 
and,  in  the  course  of  the  morning,  she  perceived  the 
Prince.  He  was  sitting  in  the  shade  of  a  tree  near  the 
water's  edge,  while  his  white  horse  was  grazing  near 

by- 

The  Water  Sprite  came  very  gently  out  of  the  rirer, 


174  THE  PHI  LOP  EN  A. 

and  seating  herself  upon  the  edge  of  the  grassy  bank, 
she  spoke  to  him.  The  Prince  looked  up  in  astonish 
ment,  but  there  was  nothing  in  her  appearance  to 
frighten  him. 

"I  came,*'  said  the  Water  Sprite,  at  the  command 
of  my  master,  to  ask  you  why  you  left  your  city,  where 
you  are  going,  and  what  you  intend  to  do  when  you 
get  there." 

The  Prince  then  told  her  why  he  had  left  his  city, 
and  what  he  intended  to  do  when  he  had  found  the 
Princess. 

"  But  where  I  am  going,"  he  said,  "  I  do  not  know, 
myself.  I  must  travel  and  travel  until  I  succeed  in 
the  object  of  my  search." 

The  Water  Sprite  reflected  for  a  moment,  and  then 
she  said : 

"  If  I  were  you,  I  would  not  travel  to  the  north. 
It  is  cold  and  dreary  there,  and  your  Princess  would 
not  dwell  in  such  a  region.  A  little  above  us,  on  the 
other  side  of  this  river,  there  is  a  stream  which  runs 
sometimes  to  the  east  and  sometimes  to  the  south,  and 
which  leads  to  the  Land  of  the  Lovely  Lakes.  This  is 
the  most  beautiful  country  in  the  world,  and  you  will 
be  much  more  likely  to  find  your  Princess  there  than 
among  the  desolate  mountains  of  the  north." 

"  I  dare  say  you  are  right,"  said  the  Prince  ;  "and  I 
will  go  there,  if  you  will  show  me  the  way." 

"The  road  runs  along  the  bank  of  the  river,"  said 
the  Water  Sprite  ;  "  and  we  shall  soon  reach  the  Land 
of  the  Lovely  Lakes." 

The    Prince  then  mounted    his  horse,   forded  the 


TEE  PHI  LOP  EN  A.  175 

river,  and  was  soon  riding  along  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  while  the  Water  Sprite  gayly  floated  upon  its 
dancing  ripples. 

When  the  Gryphoness  started  southward,  in  pursuit 
of  the  Princess,  she  kept  out  of  sight  among  the  bushes 
by  the  roadside  ;  but  sped  swiftly  along.  The  Absolute 
Fool,  however,  mounted  upon  a  fine  horse,  rode  boldly 
along  upon  the  open  road.  He  was  a  good-looking 
youth,  with  rosy  cheeks,  bright  eyes,  and  a  handsome 
figure.  As  he  cantered  gayly  along,  he  felt  himself 
capable  of  every  noble  action  which  the  human  mind 
has  ever  conceived.  The  Gryphoness  kept  near  him, 
and  in  the  course  of  the  morning  they  overtook  the 
Princess,  who  was  allowing  her  horse  to  walk  in  the 
shade  by  the  roadside.  The  Absolute  Fool  dashed  up 
to  her,  and,  taking  off  his  hat,  asked  her  why  she  had 
left  her  city,  where  she  was  going,  and  what  she  in 
tended  to  do  when  she  got  there. 

The  Princess  looked  at  him  in  surprise.  "  I  left  my 
city  because  I  wanted  to,"  she  said.  "I  am  going 
about  my  business,  and  when  I  get  to  the  proper  place, 
I  shall  attend  to  it." 

"  Oh,"  said  the  Absolute  Fool,  "  you  refuse  me  your 
confidence,  do  you?  But  allow  me  to  remark  that  I 
have  a  Gryphoness  with  me  who  is  very  frightful  to 
look  at,  and  whom  it  was  my  intention  to  keep  in  the 
bushes ;  but  if  you  will  not  give  fair  answers  to  my 
questions,  she  must  come  out  and  talk  to  you,  and  that 
is  all  there  is  about  it." 

"  If  there  is  a  Gryphoness  in  the  bushes,"  said  the 


176  TffE 

Princess,  "  let  her  come  out.  No  matter  how  frightful 
she  is,  I  would  rather  she  should  come  where  I  can  see 
her,  than  to  have  her  hiding  near  me." 

The  Gryphoness,  who  had  heard  these  words,  now 
came  out  into  the  road.  The  horse  of  the  Princess 
reared  in  affright,  but  his  young  rider  patted  him  on 
the  neck,  and  quieted  his  fears. 

44  What  do  you  and  this  young  man  want?  "  said  the 
Princess  to  the  Gryphoness,  "  and  why  do  you  question 
me?" 

44  It  is  not  of  our  own  will  that  we  do  it,"  said  the 
Gryphoness,  very  respectfully;  "but  our  master,  the 
Inquisitive  Dwarf,  has  sent  us  to  obtain  information 
about  the  points  on  which  the  young  man  questioned 
you ;  and  until  we  have  found  out  these  things,  it  is 
impossible  for  us  to  return." 

44 1  am  opposed  to  answering  impertinent  ques 
tions,"  replied  the  Princess  ;  "  but  in  order  to  rid  my 
self  of  you,  I  will  tell  you  the  reason  of  my  journey." 
And  she  then  stated  briefly  the  facts  of  the  case. 

44  Ah,  me!"  said  the  Gryphoness.  4'I  am  very 
sorry ;  but  you  cannot  tell  us  where  you  are  going, 
and  we  cannot  return  until  we  know  that.  But  you 
need  not  desire  to  be  rid  of  us,  for  it  may  be  that  we 
can  assist  you  in  the  object  of  your  journey.  This 
young  man  is  sometimes  very  useful,  and  I  shall  be 
glad  to  do  any  thing  that  I  can  to  help  you.  If  you 
should  think  that  I  would  injure  you,  or  willingly 
annoy  you  by  my  presence,  it  would  grieve  me  to  the 
heart."  And  as  she  spoke,  a  tear  be  dimmed  her  eye. 

The  Princess  wa*  touched  by  the  emotion  of  the 
Gryphoneai. 


THE  PHI  LOP  EN  A.  177 

"  You  may  accompany  me,"  she  said,  "  and  I  will 
irust  you  both.  You  must  know  this  country  better 
than  I  do.  Have  you  any  advice  to  give  me  in  regard 
to  my  journey?" 

4 'One  thing  I  would  strongly  advise,"  said  the 
Gryphoness,  "  and  that  is,  that  you  do  not  travel  an^ 
farther  until  we  know  in  what  direction  it  will  be  best 
to  go.  There  is  an  inn  close  by,  kept  by  a  worthy 
woman.  If  you  will  stop  there  until  to-morrow,  this 
young  man  and  I  will  scour  the  country  round  about, 
and  try  to  find  some  news  of  your  Prince.  The  young 
man  will  return  and  report  to  you  to-morrow  morning. 
And  if  you  should  need  help,  or  escort,  he  will  aid  and 
obey  you  as  your  servant.  As  for  me,  unless  we  have 
found  the  Prince,  I  shall  continue  searching  for  him. 
There  is  a  prince  in  the  city  to  the  north  of  my  master's 
tower,  and  it  is  not  unlikely  that  it  is  he  whom  you 
seek." 

11  You  can  find  out  if  it  is  he,"  answered  the 
Princess,  "  by  asking  about  the  philopena." 

"That  will  I  do,"  said  the  Gryphoness,  "and  I  will 
return  hither  as  speedily  as  possible."  And,  with  a 
respectful  salutation,  the  Gryphoness  and  the  Absolute 
Fool  departed  by  different  ways. 

The  Princess  then  repaired  to  the  inn,  where  she 
took  lodgings. 

The  next  morning,  the  Absolute  Fool  came  back  to 
the  inn,  and  seeing  the  Princess,  said:  "  I  rode  until 
after  night-fall,  searching  for  the  Prince,  before  it 
occurred  to  me  that,  even  if  I  should  find  him,  I  woulcj 
not  know  him  in  the  dark.  As  soon  as  I  thought  of 


178  THE  PHfLOPENA. 

that,  I  rode  straight  to  the  nearest  house,  and  slept 
until  daybreak,  when  I  remembered  that  I  was  to  report 
to  you  this  morning.  But  as  I  have  heard  no  news 
of  the  Prince,  and  as  this  is  a  beautiful,  clear  day,  I 
think  it  would  be  extremely  foolish  to  remain  idly 
here,  where  there  is  nothing  of  interest  going  on,  and 
when  a  single  hour's  delay  may  cause  you  to  miss  the 
object  of  your  search.  The  Prince  may  be  in  one 
place  this  morning,  and  there  is  no  knowing  where  he 
will  be  in  the  afternoon.  While  the  Gryphoness  is 
searching,  we  should  search  also.  We  can  return 
before  sunset,  and  we  will  leave  word  here  as  to  the 
direction  we  have  taken,  so  that  when  she  returns,  she 
can  quickly  overtake  us.  It  is  my  opinion  that  not  a 
moment  should  be  lost.  I  will  be  your  guide.  I  know 
this  country  well." 

The  Princess  thought  this  sounded  like  good  reason 
ing,  and  consented  to  set  out.  There  were  some 
beautiful  mountains  to  the  south-east ;  and  among 
these,  the  Absolute  Fool  declared,  a  prince  of  good 
taste  would  be  very  apt  to  dwell.  They,  therefore, 
took  this  direction.  But  when  they  had  travelled  an 
hour  or  more,  the  mountains  began  to  look  bare  and 
bleak,  and  the  Absolute  Fool  declared  that  he  did  not 
believe  any  prince  would  live  there.  He  therefore 
advised  that  they  turn  into  a  road  that  led  to  the 
north-east.  It  was  a  good  road ;  and  therefore  he 
thought  it  led  to  a  good  place,  where  a  person  of  good 
sense  would  be  likely  to  reside.  Along  this  road  they 
therefore  travelled.  They  had  ridden  but  a  few  miles 
when  they  met  three  men,  well  armed  and  mounted. 


THE  PH1LOPENA.  179 

These  men  drew  up  their  horses,  and  respectfully 
saluted  the  Princess. 

"  High-born  Lady,"  they  said,  "  for  by  your  aspect 
we  know  you  to  be  such,  we  would  inform  you  that  we 
are  the  soldiers  of  the  King,  the  outskirts  of  whose 
dominions  you  have  reached.  It  is  our  duty  to  ques 
tion  all  travellers,  and,  if  their  object  in  coming  to 
our  country  is  a  good  one,  to  give  them  whatever 
assistance  and  information  they  may  require.  Will 
you  tell  us  why  you  are  come?  " 

"  Impertinent  vassals!"  cried  the  Absolute  Fool, 
riding  up  in  a  great  passion.  "  How  dare  you  inter 
fere  with  a  princess  who  has  left  her  city  because  it 
was  so  dull  and  stupid,  and  is  endeavoring  to  find  a 
prince,  with  whom  she  has  eaten  a  philopena,  in  order 
that  she  may  marry  him.  Out  of  my  way,  or  I  will 
draw  my  sword  and  cleave  you  to  the  earth,  and  thus 
punish  your  unwarrantable  curiosity  !  " 

The  soldiers  could  not  repress  a  smile. 

4'  In  order  to  prevent  mischief,"  they  said  to  the 
Absolute  Fool,  "  we  shall  be  obliged  to  take  you  into 
custody." 

This  they  immediately  did,  and  then  requested  the 
Princess  to  accompany  them  to  the  palace  of  their 
King,  where  she  would  receive  hospitality  and  aid. 

The  King  welcomed  the  Princess  with  great  cor 
diality.  He  had  no  son,  and  he  much  wished  he  had 
one  ;  for  in  that  case  it  might  be  his  Prince  for  whom 
the  young  lady  was  looking.  But  there  was  a  prince, 
he  said,  who  lived  in  a  city  to  the  north,  who  was 
probably  the  very  man ;  and  he  would  send  and  make 


180  TffE  PHILOPENA. 

inquiries.  In  the  mean  time,  the  Princess  would  be 
entertained  by  himself  and  his  Queen ;  and,  if  her 
servant  would  make  a  suitable  apology,  his  violent 
language  would  be  pardoned.  But  the  Absolute  Fool 
positively  refused  to  do  this. 

44 1  never  apologize,"  he  cried.  "  No  man  of  spirit 
would  do  such  a  thing.  What  I  say,  I  stand  by." 

44  Very  well,"  said  the  King  ;  u  then  you  shall  fight 
a  wild  beast."  And  he  gave  orders  that  the  affair 
should  be  arranged  for  the  following  day. 

In  a  short  time,  however,  some  of  his  officers  came 
to  him  and  told  him  that  there  were  no  wild  beasts ; 
those  on  hand  having  been  kept  so  long  that  they  had 
become  tame. 

"To  be  sure,  there's  the  old  lion,  Sardon,"  they 
said;  "but  he  is  so  dreadfully  cross  and  has  had  so 
much  experience  in  these  fights,  that  for  a  long  time  it 
has  not  been  considered  fair  to  allow  any  one  to  enter 
the  ring  with  him." 

44  It  is  a  pity,"  said  the  King,  "  to  make  the  young 
man  fight  a  tame  beast ;  but,  under  the  circumstances, 
the  best  thing  to  do  will  be  to  represent  the  case  to 
him,  just  as  it  is.  Tell  him  we  are  sorry  we  have  not 
an  ordinary  wild  beast ;  but  that  he  can  take  his  choice 
between  a  tame  one  and  the  lion  Sardon,  whose  dispo 
sition  and  experience  you  will  explain  to  him." 

When  the  matter  was  stated  to  the  Absolute  Fool, 
he  refused  with  great  scorn  to  fight  a  tame  beast. 

4t  I  will  not  be  degraded  in  the  eyes  of  the  public," 
he  said ;  44 1  will  take  the  old  lion." 

The  next  day,  the  court  and  the  public  assembled  to 


THE  PHILOPEXA.  181 

see  the  fight ;  but  the  Queen  and  our  Princess  took  a 
ride  into  the  country,  not  wishing  to  witness  a  combat 
of  this  kind,  especially  one  which  was  so  unequal. 
The  King  ordered  that  every  advantage  should  be 
given  to  the  young  man,  in  order  that  he  might  have 
every  possible  chance  of  success  in  fighting  an  animal 
which  had  been  a  victor  on  so  many  similar  occasions. 
A  large  iron  cage,  furnished  with  a  turnstile,  into 
which  the  Absolute  Fool  could  retire  for  rest  and  re 
freshment,  but  where  the  lion  could  not  follow  him, 
was  placed  in  the  middle  of  the  arena,  and  the  youth 
was  supplied  with  all  the  weapons  he  desired.  When 
every  thing  was  ready,  the  Absolute  Fool  took  his 
stand  in  the  centre  of  the  arena,  and  the  door  of  the 
lion's  den  was  opened.  The  great  beast  came  out,  he 
looked  about  for  an  instant,  and  then,  with  majestic 
step,  advanced  toward  the  young  man.  When  he  was 
within  a  few  paces  of  him,  he  crouched  for  a  spring. 

The  Absolute  Fool  had  never  seen  so  magnificent  a 
creature,  and  he  could  not  restrain  his  admiration. 
With  folded  arms  and  sparkling  eyes,  he  gazed  with 
delight  upon  the  lion's  massive  head,  his  long  and 
flowing  mane,  his  magnificent  muscles,  and  his  power 
ful  feet  and  legs.  There  was  an  air  of  grandeur  and 
strength  about  him  which  completely  enraptured  the 
youth.  Approaching  the  lion,  he  knelt  before  him, 
and  gazed  with  wondering  ecstasy  into  his  great,  glow 
ing  eyes.  "  What  glorious  orbs!"  he  inwardly  ex 
claimed.  u  What  unfathomable  expression  !  What 
possibilities !  What  reminiscences  !  And  everywhere, 
what  majesty  of  curve  1  " 


182  THE  PHI  LOP  EN  A. 

The  lion  was  a  good  deal  astonished  at  the  conduct 
of  the  young  man  ;  and  he  soon  began  to  suppose  that 
this  was  not  the  person  he  was  to  fight,  but  probably  a 
keeper,  who  was  examining  into  his  condition.  After 
submitting  to  this  scrutiny  a  few  minutes,  he  gave  a 
mighty  yawn,  which  startled  the  spectators,  but  which 
delighted  the  Absolute  Fool ;  for  never  before  had  he 
beheld  such  a  depth  of  potentiality.  He  knelt  in  silent 
delight  at  this  exhibition  of  the  beauty  of  strength. 

Old  Sardon  soon  became  tired  of  all  this,  however, 
and  he  turned  and  walked  back  to  his  den.  "  When 
their  man  is  ready,"  he  thought  to  himself,  "  I  will 
come  out  and  fight  him." 

One  tremendous  shout  now  arose  from  the  multitude. 
"  The  youth  has  conquered  !  "  they  cried.  "  He  has 
actually  frightened  the  lion  back  into  his  den !  '  * 
Rushing  into  the  arena,  they  raised  the  Absolute  Fool 
upon  their  shoulders  and  carried  him  in  triumph  to  the 
open  square  in  front  of  the  palace,  that  he  might  be 
rewarded  for  his  bravery.  Here  the  King,  followed 
by  his  court,  quickly  appeared ;  for  he  was  as  much 
delighted  as  any  one  at  the  victory  of  the  young 
man. 

"Noble  youth,"  he  exclaimed,  u  you  are  the 
bravest  of  the  brave.  You  are  the  only  man  I  know 
who  is  worthy  of  our  royal  daughter,  and  you  shall 
marry  her  forthwith.  Long  since,  I  vowed  that  only 
with  the  bravest  should  she  wed." 

At  this  moment,  the  Queen  and  the  Princess,  return 
ing  from  their  ride,  heard  with  joy  the  result  of  the 
combat;  and  riding  up  to  the  victor,  the  Queen  de- 


THE  PHILOPENA.  183 

clared  that  she  would  gladly  join  with  her  royal  hus 
band  in  giving  their  daughter  to  so  brave  a  man. 

The  Absolute  Fool  stood  for  a  moment  in  silent 
thought ;  then,  addressing  the  King,  he  said  : 

44  Was  Your  Majesty's  father  a  king?  " 

"  He  was,"  was  the  answer. 

44  Was  his  father  of  royal  blood?  " 

44  No  ;  he  was  not,"  replied  the  King.  "My  grand 
father  was  a  man  of  the  people  ;  but  his  pre-eminent 
virtue,  his  great  ability  as  a  statesman,  and  the  dignity 
and  nobility  of  his  character  made  him  the  unanimous 
choice  of  the  nation  as  its  sovereign." 

4  4 1  am  sorry  to  hear  that, ' '  said  the  Absolute  Fool ; 
44  for  it  makes  it  necessary  for  me  to  decline  the  kind 
offer  of  your  daughter  in  marriage.  If  I  marry  a 
princess  at  all,  she  must  be  one  who  can  trace  back  her 
lineage  through  a  long  line  of  royal  ancestors."  And 
as  he  spoke,  his  breast  swelled  with  manly  pride. 

For  a  moment,  the  King  was  dumb  with  rage.  Then 
loudly  he  shouted:  44  Ho,  guards!  Annihilate  him! 
Avenge  this  insult !  " 

At  these  words,  the  sword  of  every  by-stander 
leaped  from  its  scabbard  ;  but,  before  any  one  could 
take  a  step  forward,  the  Princess  seized  the  Absolute 
Fool  by  his  long  and  flowing  locks,  and  put  spurs  to 
her  horse.  The  young  man  yelled  with  pain,  and 
shouted  to  her  to  let  go ;  but  she  held  firmly  to  his 
hair,  and  as  he  was  extraordinarily  active  and  fleet  of 
foot,  he  kept  pace  with  the  galloping  horse.  A  great 
crowd  of  people  started  in  pursuit,  but  as  none  of  them 
were  mounted,  they  were  soon  left  behind. 


184  THE  PHILOPENA. 

"  Let  go  my  hair !  Let  go  my  hair !  "  shouted  tht 
Absolute  Fool,  as  he  bounded  along.  "  You  don't 
know  how  it  hurts.  Let  go  !  Let  go  !  " 

But  the  Princess  never  relinquished  her  hold  until 
they  were  out  of  the  King's  domain. 

"  A  little  more,"  cried  the  indignant  youth,  when 
she  let  him  go,  "and  you  would  have  pulled  out  a 
handful  of  my  hair." 

"  A  little  less,"  said  the  Princess,  contemptuously, 
"and  you  would  have  been  cut  to  pieces;  for  you 
have  not  sense  enough  to  take  care  of  yourself.  I  am 
sorry  I  listened  to  you,  and  left  the  inn  to  which  the 
Gryphoness  took  me.  It  would  have  been  far  better  to 
wait  there  for  her  as  she  told  me  to  do." 

u  Yes,"  said  the  Absolute  Fool;  "it  would  have 
been  much  better." 

"  Now,"  said  the  Princess,  "  we  will  go  back  there, 
and  see  if  she  has  returned." 

"  If  we  can  find  it,"  said  the  other,  "  which  I  very 
much  doubt." 

There  were  several  roads  at  this  point  and,  of 
course,  they  took  the  wrong  one.  As  they  went  on, 
the  Absolute  Fool  complained  bitterly  that  he  had  left 
his  horse  behind  him,  and  was  obliged  to  walk.  Some 
times  he  stopped,  and  said  he  would  go  back  after  it ; 
but  this  the  Princess  sternly  forbade. 

When  the  Gryphoness  reached  the  city  of  the  Prince, 
it  was  night ;  but  she  was  not  sorry  for  this.  She  did 
not  like  to  show  herself  much  in  the  daytime,  because 
so  many  people  were  frightened  by  her.  After  a  good 


THE  PHI  LOP  EN  A.  18£ 

deal  of  trouble,  she  discovered  that  the  Prince  hao 
certainly  left  the  city,  although  his  guardians  did  no* 
seem  to  be  aware  of  it.  The}'  were  so  busy  with  a 
new  palace,  iu  part  of  which  they  were  living,  that 
they  could  not  be  expected  to  keep  a  constant  eye  upon 
him.  In  the  morning,  she  met  an  old  man  who  knew 
her,  and  was  not  afraid  of  her,  and  who  told  her  that 
the  day  before,  when  he  was  up  the  river,  he  had  seen 
the  Prince  on  his  white  horse,  riding  on  the  bank  of 
the  stream  ;  and  that  near  him,  in  the  water,  was  some 
thing  which  now  looked  like  a  woman,  and  again  like 
a  puff  of  mist.  The  Gryphoness  reflected. 

44  If  this  Prince  has  gone  off  in  that  way,"  she  said 
to  herself,  44  I  believe  that  he  is  the  very  one  whom 
the  Princess  is  looking  for,  and  that  he  has  set  out  in 
search  of  her ;  and  that  creature  in  the  water  must  be 
our  "Water  Sprite,  whom  our  master  has  probably  sent 
out  to  discover  where  the  Prince  is  going.  If  he  had 
told  me  about  this,  it  would  have  saved  much  trouble. 
From  the  direction  in  which  they  were  going,  I  feel 
sure  that  the  Water  Sprite  was  taking  the  Prince  to 
the  Land  of  the  Lovely  Lakes.  She  never  fails  to  go 
there,  if  she  can  possibly  get  an  excuse.  I  will  follow 
them.  I  suppose  the  Princess  will  be  tired,  waiting  at 
the  inn  ;  but  I  must  know  where  the  Prince  is,  and  if 
he  is  really  her  Prince,  before  I  go  back  to  her." 

When  the  Gryphoness  reached  the  Land  of  the 
Lovely  Lakes,  she  wandered  all  that  day  and  the  next 
night ;  but  she  saw  nothing  of  those  for  whom  she  was 
looking. 


186'  THE  PHILOPENA. 

The  Princess  and  the  Absolute  Fool  journeyed  on 
until  near  the  close  of  the  afternoon,  when  the  sky 
began  to  be  overcast,  and  it  looked  like  rain.  They 
were  then  not  far  from  a  large  piece  of  water ;  and  a. 
a  little  distance,  they  saw  a  ship  moored  near  the 
shore. 

41  I  shall  seek  shelter  on  board  that  ship,"  said  the 
Princess. 

"It  is  going  to  storm,"  remarked  the  Absolute 
Fool.  "  I  should  prefer  to  be  on  dry  laud." 

"  As  the  land  is  not  likely  to  be  very  dry  when  it 
rains,"  said  the  Princess,  "  I  prefer  a  shelter,  even  if 
it  is  upon  wet  water." 

"  Women  will  always  have  their  own  way,"  mut 
tered  the  Absolute  Fool. 

The  ship  belonged  to  a  crew  of  Amazon  sailors,  who 
gave  the  Princess  a  hearty  welcome. 

44  You  may  go  on  board  if  you  choose,"  said  the 
Absolute  Fool  to  the  Princess,  "but  I  shall  not  risk 
my  life  in  a  ship  manned  by  women." 

44  It  is  well  that  you  are  of  that  opinion,"  said 
the  Captain  of  the  Amazons,  who  had  heard  this  re 
mark  ;  "  for  you  would  not  be  allowed  to  come  on  board 
if  you  wished  to.  But  we  will  give  you  a  tent  to  pro 
tect  you  and  the  horse  in  case  it  should  rain,  and  will 
send  you  something  to  eat." 

While  the  Princess  was  taking  tea  with  the  Amazon 
Captain,  she  told  her  about  the  Prince,  and  how  she 
was  trying  to  find  him. 

"Good!  "  cried  the  Captain.  44 1  will  join  in  the 
search,  and  take  you  in  my  ship.  Some  of  my  crew  told 


THE  PHILOPENA.  187 

me  that  yesterday  they  saw  a  young  man,  who  looked 
like  a  prince,  riding  along  the  shore  of  a  lake  which 
iidjoins  the  one  we  are  on.  In  the  morning  we  will 
sail  after  him.  We  shall  keep  near  the  shore,  and 
your  servant  can  mount  your  horse  and  ride  along  the 
edge  of  the  lake.  From  what  I  know  of  the  speed  of 
this  vessel,  I  think  he  can  easily  keep  up  with  us.'* 

Early  in  the  morning,  the  Amazon  Captain  called  her 
crew  together.  "  Hurrah,  my  brave  girls !  "  she  said. 
41  We  have  an  object.  I  never  sail  without  an  object, 
and  it  lights  me  to  get  one.  The  purpose  of  our 
preset  cruise  is  to  find  the  Prince  of  whom  this  Prin 
cess  is  in  search  ;  and  we  must  spare  no  pains  to  bring 
him  to  her,  dead  or  alive." 

Luckily  for  her  peace  of  mind,  the  Princess  did  not 
hear  this  speech.  The  day  was  a  fine  one,  and  before 
long  the  sun  became  very  hot.  The  ship  was  sailing 
quite  near  the  land,  when  the  Absolute  Fool  rode  down 
to  the  water's  edge,  and  called  out  that  he  had  some 
thing  very  important  to  communicate  to  the  Princess. 
As  he  was  not  allowed  to  come  on  board,  she  wae 
obliged  to  go  on  shore,  to  which  she  was  rowed  in  a 
small  boat. 

UI  have  been  thinking,"  said  the  Absolute  Fool, 
44  that  it  is  perfectly  ridiculous,  and  very  uncomfort 
able,  to  continue  this  search  any  longer.  I  would  gc 
back,  but  my  master  would  not  suffer  me  to  return 
without  knowing  where  you  are  going.  I  have,  there 
fore,  a  plan  to  propose.  Give  up  your  useless  searcb 
for  this  Prince,  who  is  probably  not  nearly  so  handsome 
and  intellectual  as  I  am,  and  marry  me.  We  will  theu 


188  THE  PHILOPENA. 

return,  and  I  will  assume  the  reins  of  government  in 
your  domain." 

4 'Follow  the  vessel,"  said  the  Princess,  u  as  you 
have  been  doing  ;  for  I  wish  some  one  to  take  care  of 
my  horse."  And  without  another  word,  she  returned 
to  the  ship. 

' 4 1  should  like  to  sail  as  far  as  possible  from  shore 
during  the  rest  of  the  trip,"  said  she  to  the  Captain. 

"Put  the  helm  bias!"  shouted  the  Amazon  Cap 
tain  to  the  steers-woman ;  ' ;  and  keep  him  well  out 
from  land." 

When  they  had  sailed  through  a  small  stream  into 
the  lake  adjoining,  the  out-look,  who  was  swinging  in 
a  hammock  hung  between  the  tops  of  the  two  masts, 
sang  out,  "  Prince  ahead !  "  Instantly  all  was  activity 
on  board  the  vessel.  Story  books  were  tucked  under 
coils  of  rope,  hem-stitching  and  embroidery  were  laid 
aside,  and  every  woman  was  at  her  post. 

"The  Princess  is  taking  a  nap,"  said  the  Captain, 
4 '  and  we  will  not  awaken  her.  It  will  be  so  nice  to 
surprise  her  by  bringing  the  Prince  to  her.  We  will 
run  our  vessel  ashore,  and  then  steal  quietly  upon  him. 
But  do  not  let  him  get  away.  Cut  him  down,  if  he 
resists !  ' ' 

The  Prince,  who  was  plainly  visible  only  a  short  dis 
tance  ahead,  was  so  pleasantly  employed  that  he  had 
not  noticed  the  approach  of  the  ship.  He  was  sitting 
upon  a  low,  moss-covered  rock,  close  to  the  water's 
edge ;  and  with  a  small  hand-net,  which  he  had  found 
on  the  shore,  he  was  scooping  the  most  beautiful  fishes 
from  the  lake,  holding  them  up  in  the  sunlight  to  ad- 


THE  PHI  LOP  EN  A.  189 

mire  their  brilliant  colors  and  graceful  forms,  and  then 
returning  them  uninjured  to  the  water.  The  Water 
Sprite  was  swimming  near  him,  and  calling  to  the  fish 
to  come  up  and  be  caught ;  for  the  gentle  Prince 
would  not  hurt  them.  It  was  very  delightful  and  rare 
sport,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  it  entirely  engrossed 
the  attention  of  the  Prince.  The  Amazons  silently 
landed,  and  softly  stole  along  the  shore,  a  little  back 
from  the  water.  Then,  at  their  Captain's  command, 
they  rushed  upon  the  Prince. 

It  was  just  about  this  time  that  the  Gryphoness,  who 
had  been  searching  for  the  Prince,  caught  her  first 
sight  of  him.  Perceiving  that  he  was  about  to  be 
attacked,  she  rushed  to  his  aid.  The  Amazon  sailors 
reached  him  before  she  did,  and  seizing  upon  him  they 
began  to  pull  him  away.  The  Prince  resisted  stoutly  ; 
but  seeing  that  his  assailants  were  women,  he  would 
not  draw  his  sword.  The  Amazon  Captain  and  mate, 
who  were  armed  with  broad  knives,  now  raised  their 
weapons,  and  called  upon  the  Prince  to  surrender  or 
die.  But  at  this  moment,  the  Gryphoness  reached  the 
spot,  and  catching  the  Captain  and  mate,  each  by  an 
arm,  she  dragged  them  back  from  the  Prince.  The 
other  Amazons,  however,  continued  the  combat ;  and 
the  Prince  defended  himself  by  pushing  them  into  the 
shallow  water,  where  the  Water  Sprite  nearly  stifled 
them  by  throwing  over  them  showers  of  spray.  And 
now  came  riding  up  the  Absolute  Fool.  Seeing  a 
youth  engaged  in  combat  with  the  Amazon  sailors,  his 
blood  boiled  with  indignation. 

"  A  man  fighting  women !  "  he  exclaimed.     "  What 


190  THE  PHILOPENA. 

a  coward !  My  arm  shall  ever  assist  the  weaker 
sex." 

Jumping  from  the  horse,  he  drew  his  sword,  and 
rushed  upon  the  Prince.  The  Gryphoness  saw  the 
danger  of  the  latter,  and  she  would  have  gone  to  his 
assistance,  but  she  was  afraid  to  loosen  her  hold  of 
the  Amazon  Captain  and  mate. 

Spreading  her  wings  she  flew  to  the  top  of  a  tree 
where  she  deposited  the  two  warlike  women  upon  a 
lofty  branch,  from  which  she  knew  it  would  take  them 
a  long  time  to  get  down  to  the  ground.  When  she 
descended  she  found  that  the  Absolute  Fool  had 
reached  the  Prince.  The  latter,  being  a  brave  fellow, 
although  of  so  gentle  a  disposition,  Imd  been  glad  to 
find  a  man  among  his  assailants,  and  had  drawn  his 
sword  to  defend  himself.  The  two  had  just  begun  to 
fight  when  the  Gryphoness  seized  the  Absolute  Fool  by 
the  waist  and  hurled  him  backward  into  some  bushes. 

"  You  must  not  fight  him !  "  she  cried  to  the  Prince. 
"  He  is  beneath  your  rank  !  And  as  you  will  not  draw 
your  sword  against  these  Amazons  you  must  fly  from 
them.  If  you  run  fast  they  cannot  overtake  you." 

The  Prince  followed  her  advice,  and  sheathing  his 
sword  he  rapidly  ran  along  the  bank,  followed  by  some 
of  the  Amazons  who  had  succeeded  in  getting  the 
water  out  of  their  eyes  and  mouths. 

"  Rim  from  women  !"  contemptuously  remarked  the 
Absolute  Fool.  "  If  you  had  not  interfered  with  me," 
he  said  to  the  Gryphoness,  "  I  should  soon  have  put 
an  end  to  such  a  coward." 

The  Prince  had  nearly  reached  the  place  opposite  to 


THE  PHILOPENA.  19 1 

which  the  ship  was  moored,  when  the  Princess,  who 
had  been  awakened  by  the  noise  of  the  combat,  ap 
peared  upon  the  deck  of  the  vessel.  The  moment  she 
saw  the  Prince,  she  felt  convinced  that  he  was  certainly 
the  one  for  whom  she  was  looking.  Fearing  that  the 
pursuing  Amazons  might  kill  him,  she  sprang  from  the 
vessel  to  his  assistance ;  but  her  foot  caught  in  a  rope, 
and  instead  of  reaching  the  shore,  she  fell  into  the 
water,  which  was  here  quite  deep,  and  immediately 
sank  out  of  sight.  The  Prince,  who  had  noticed  her 
just  as  she  sprang,  and  who  felt  equally  convinced  that 
she  was  the  one  for  whom  he  was  searching,  stopped 
his  flight  and  rushed  to  the  edge  of  the  bank.  Just  as 
the  Princess  rose  to  the  surface,  he  reached  out  his 
hand  to  her,  and  she  took  it. 

44  Philopena !  "  cried  the  Prince. 

"You  have  won,'*  said  the  Princess,  gayly  shaking 
the  water  from  her  curls,  as  he  drew  her  ashore. 

At  the  request  of  the  Princess,  the  pursuing  Ama 
zons  forbore  to  assail  the  Prince,  and  when  the  Cap 
tain  and  the  Mate  had  descended  from  the  tree,  every 
thing  was  explained. 

Within  an  hour,  the  Prince  and  Princess,  after  tak 
ing  kind  leave  of  the  Gryphoness,  and  Water  Sprite, 
and  of  the  Amazon  sailors,  who  cheered  them  loudly, 
rode  away  to  the  city  of  the  Princess ;  while  the  three 
servants  of  the  Inquisitive  Dwarf  returned  to  their 
master  to  report  what  had  happened. 

The  Absolute  Fool  was  in  a  very  bad  humor ;  for  he 
was  obliged  to  go  back  on  foot,  having  left  his  horse  in 
the  kingdom  where  he  had  so  narrowly  escaped  being 


192  THE  PHILOPENA. 

killed ;  and,  besides  this,  he  had  had  his  hair  pulled ; 
and  had  not  been  treated  with  proper  respect  by  either 
the  Princess  or  the  Gryphoness.  He  felt  himself 
deeply  injured.  When  he  reached  home,  he  deter 
mined  that  he  would  not  remain  in  a  position  where  his 
great  abilities  were  so  little  appreciated.  "  I  will  do 
something,"  he  said,  "  which  shall  prove  to  the  world 
that  I  deserve  to  stand  among  the  truly  great.  I  will 
reform  my  fellow  beings,  and  I  will  begin  by  reforming 
the  Inquisitive  Dwarf."  Thereupon  he  went  to  his 
master,  and  said : 

u  Sir,  it  is  foolish  and  absurd  for  you  to  be  med 
dling  thus  with  the  affairs  of  your  neighbors.  Give  up 
your  inquisitive  habits,  and  learn  some  useful  business. 
While  you  are  doing  this,  I  will  consent  to  manage 
your  affairs." 

The  Inquisitive  Dwarf  turned  to  him,  and  said:  "I 
have  a  great  desire  to  know  the  exact  appearance  of 
the  North  Pole.  Go  and  discover  it  for  me." 

The  Absolute  Fool  departed  on  this  mission,  and 
has  not  yet  returned. 

When  the  Princess,  with  her  Prince,  reached  her 
city,  her  uncles  were  very  much  amazed  ;  for  they  had 
not  known  she  had  gone  away.  u  If  you  are  going  to 
get  married,"  they  said,  "we  are  very  glad;  for  then 
you  will  not  need  our  care,  and  we  shall  be  free  from 
the  great  responsibility  which  is  bearing  us  down." 

In  a  short  time  the  wedding  took  place,  and  then 
the  question  arose  in  which  city  should  the  young 
couple  dwell.  The  Princess  decided  it. 

"  In  the  winter,"  she  said  to  the  Prince,  "  We  will 


THE  PHILOPENA.  193 

live  in  your  city,  where  all  is  life  and  activity ;  and 
where  the  houses  are  »o  well  built  with  all  the  latest  im 
provements.  In  the  summer,  we  will  come  to  my  city, 
where  every  thing  is  old,  and  shady,  and  serene." 
Tliis  they  did,  and  were  very  happy. 

The  Gryphouess  would  have  been  glad  to  go  and 
rive  with  the  Princess,  for  she  had  taken  a  great  fancy 
to  her ;  but  she  did  not  think  it  worth  her  while  to  ask 
permission  to  do  this. 

kk  My  impulses,  I  know,  are  good,"  she  said  ;  "  but 
my  appearance  is  against  me." 

As  for  the  Water  Sprite,  she  was  in  a  truly  disconso 
late  mood,  because  she  had  left  so  soon  the  Land  of 
the  Lovely  Lakes,  where  she  had  been  so  happy.  The 
more  she  thought  about  it,  the  more  she  grieved ; 
and  one  morning,  unable  to  bear  her  sorrow  longer, 
she  sprang  into  the  great  jet  of  the  fountain.  High 
into  the  bright  air  the  fountain  threw  her,  scattering 
her  into  a  thousand  drops  of  glittering  water ;  but  not 
one  drop  fell  back  into  the  basin.  The  great,  warm 
sun  drew  them  up ;  and,  in  a  little  white  cloud, 
floated  away  across  the  bright  blue  sky. 


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